Turkey celebrates 99th anniversary of first parliament

Turkey on Tuesday celebrated the 99th anniversary of the first season of its Grand National Assembly and also National Sovereignty and Children's Day.

Senior politicians, including Parliament Speaker Mustafa Şentop, Republican People's Party leader Kemal Kılıçdaroglu and IYI Party leader Meral Akşener, visited the mausoleum of the republic's founder Mustafa Kemal Atatürk in the capital Ankara.

"Our determination to work continues for our country's unity and solidarity, and for nation's peace and welfare," Şentop wrote in the mausoleum's memorial book.

Şentop also said the parliament continues to work for Turkey's development and welfare.

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan received a group of children at the presidential complex, where they followed the annual tradition of taking the seats of Cabinet ministers.

Erdoğan symbolically gave his seat to Okan Sözeyataroğlu as Turkey's head of state.

The sixth-grade student took questions from the press on current issues in Turkey.

Later, a special session will be held at the parliament, which will be attended by Erdoğan and opposition leaders.

The April 23 celebrations focus on children after Atatürk, the first speaker of the parliament, dedicated the day to children as the nation's future.

The Grand National Assembly met for the first time in Ankara in 1920 during the War of Independence to lay the foundations for an independent, secular and modern republic.