This Saturday more than 800 children from 45 countries will meet
their host families in Antalya to begin celebrating the weeklong
International 23 April Children's Festival. With the first 20 children
arriving from Ukraine, Turkish State Radio and Television's (TRT) 30th
annual children's festival officially began this week. To date, some
20,000 children and 5,000 group leaders of different countries have
travelled to Turkey to participate. Young festival participants will be
greeted by President Abdullah Gül and Prime Minister Recep Tayyıp
Erdoğan in Ankara next Monday. In Antalya the international group of
children ages 8-14 will plant trees together and participate in a
nationwide painting contest. The 30th anniversary gala of nations will
air on TRT Wednesday, April 23.
What's Children's Day?
Friday
morning, April 23, 1920 an enthusiastic crowd gathered around the
historic parliament building in Ankara to celebrate the nation's
independence. Ever since that fateful day when rule of law was passed
into the hands of Turkey's people, April 23 has been celebrated as the
‘Day of National Sovereignty' when the National Assembly removed power
from the sultan.
Atatürk's children
Knowing
that Turkey's trade and industry at the time would not catapult the
country into modern times, the nation's founder Mustafa Kemal Atatürk
regarded Turkey's children as the hope of creating civilized
contemporary state. “Little women, little men!” he said, “Each one of
you is a star, a ray of light, a rose of the future… We are expecting
great things of you!”
On that first Children's Day in 1929,
the children of Ankara marched through the streets of the capital in
song. The first ‘children's ball and afternoon tea' was held at the
Ankara Palas hotel with Atatürk himself attending. In Istanbul,
children gathered around the monument on Taksim Square for a long march
to the accompaniment of the Navy Band. Children's plays and other
celebrations were staged at the Tepebaşı Theater.
Welcoming the world's children
When
the United Nations declared 1979 ‘The Year of the World's Children', an
organization was put together by the state TV channel TRT to encompass
all the world's children. The first TRT International 23rd April
Children's Festival was celebrated in Turkey in 1979 with the
participation of five other countries: the Soviet Union, Iraq, Italy,
Rumania and Bulgaria. Now the festival is held annually with 65
countries participating last year. Invited by the children of Turkey,
some 20,000 children from 100 different countries have taken part in
these festivals to date.
This year's festivities will take
place in Antalya April 16-24. This 30th annual festival will feature
each group taking the stage in authentic native costumes to perform
songs and dances of their country. A special photography exhibit is on
display April 16-24 at the Rahmi Koç Museum in Istanbul, at the Turkish
Parliament building and at the Migros Shopping Center in Antalya.
This
time of year, Turkish children know plays are written, songs composed
and poems memorized. Every school puts together its own program for the
occasion. Over the years Turkish kids have become familiar with
children and customs from around the world through the TRT's colorful
23rd April broadcasts. During the nearly weeklong celebrations,
visiting children stay with Turkish families with children of the same
age. Again this year, pictures of warm embraces and tearful good-byes
are expected to fill the newspapers.
International Organization Desk: (0242) 238 1414 |
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