On April 23, more than half a million Turkish-Americans celebrate the Turkish National Sovereignty and Children’s Day. Ninety-two years ago, on this date, the Turkish Grand National Assembly was established, to fulfill the aspirations of Turkish people for freedom, justice and peace.

Within three years, a secular modern Turkish republic was proclaimed under the leadership of Ataturk. Marked for the first time in 1921 as the Turkish National Day, April 23 also has been celebrated as the Children’s Day since 1927, to signify the role of younger generations in pursuit of progress and prosperity.

Over the past nine decades, Turkey has demonstrated its strong commitment to the universal values of liberty, justice, democracy and tolerance as well as to its long-term strategic alliance with the United States.

During the 1950-53 Korean War, more than 5,000 Turkish soldiers took part and more than 700 of them fell as heroes fighting alongside the Americans. Since 1952, Turkey has been a key NATO member and a major contributor to alliance missions, most recently in Kosovo and Afghanistan.

Modern Turkey developed a unique model of predominantly Muslim secular democracy. It is among the fastest-growing emerging markets and remains an important U.S. partner in a vast region stretching from Eastern Europe and North Africa to Central Asia.

Within less than a century of immigration, Americans of Turkish descent have made a significant imprint on a diverse cultural spectrum of our nation and have contributed to America’s advancement in the fields of business, science, medicine, technology and arts.

I join members of the Pax Turcica Institute, the Assembly of Turkish American Associations and the Federation of Turkish-American Associations to request a proper recognition of the Turkish National Day in our federal and state legislatures. A sample text of the proposed resolution is available at http://april23.paxturcica.org.

Karahan Mete

Davis

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