PM Üstel: The Turkish Cypriot People and Youth Will Continue to Progress in Atatürk's Path

The ceremony was organized by Girne 23 Nisan Primary School, Mustafa Çağatay Primary School, and Şehit Hasan Cafer Primary School.

According to a written statement from the Ministry of National Education, the ceremony was attended by Prime Minister Ünal Üstel, Minister of Finance Özdemir Berova, Minister of National Education Nazım Çavuşoğlu, Girne Mayor Murat Şenkul, Artillery Colonel Ahmet Tümay representing the Cyprus Turkish Peace Forces Command, ministry bureaucrats, and families.

The ceremony began with the inspection and greeting of the students by the protocol, followed by a moment of silence and the singing of the National Anthem. Prime Minister Ünal Üstel, Minister of National Education Nazım Çavuşoğlu, and Deputy Principal of Mustafa Çağatay Primary School Gönül Kendir each delivered a speech at the ceremony.

The event concluded after a formal parade and student performances.

In his speech at the ceremony, Prime Minister Ünal Üstel extended his greetings to all children on April 23 National Sovereignty and Children's Day, recalling that Mustafa Kemal Atatürk dedicated this day as a holiday to all children worldwide when he declared the Turkish Grand National Assembly. Üstel emphasized that April 23 is the day when the Turkish nation achieved national sovereignty, and he noted that the Turkish Cypriot people and the young generations, who have come to these days by progressing in the light of Atatürk's Principles and Reforms, will continue to move forward on Atatürk's path.

Prime Minister Üstel thanked all teachers who diligently prepare children, the future of the country and the world, for the future. He wished all children a happy holiday.

Minister of National Education Nazım Çavuşoğlu, in his speech, emphasized that April 23 marks the beginning of Turkey's journey from the empire to the republic, recalling that Atatürk entrusted the Republic to the youth and national sovereignty to the children. Reminding that Turkish Cypriots, who closely follow all developments and Atatürkist ideology in the Republic of Turkey, quickly embraced and implemented Atatürk's Principles and Reforms, Çavuşoğlu stressed that "Atatürk's thought has been assimilated in these lands through teachers, ingrained into the texture of the Turkish Cypriot people."

Çavuşoğlu highlighted that "today, children with different colors and cultures live together in the TRNC with tolerance." He stated that the young, who are the future and guarantee of the country, are being prepared for the future in the best possible way by their teachers, understanding Atatürk better day by day and living in line with the Atatürkist vision, getting closer every day to the goal of reaching the level of contemporary civilizations.

Stating that the government and the ministry are continuously working to educate children, who are the future of the country, as knowledgeable, strong individuals who embrace their culture, religion, language, race, and traditions, Çavuşoğlu expressed gratitude to philanthropic citizens and school parent associations for their contributions to creating better educational conditions for children.