The invited speaker, İnönü’s daughter, Özden Toker, was met with great enthusiasm.
Hisar School celebrated the 91st year of the Turkish Republic with great excitement. The guest of honor at the ceremonies was Mrs. Özden Toker, daughter of Turkey’s 2nd President and Atatürk’s companion-in-arms İsmet İnönü.
The ceremonies organized by Hisar Middle School started with General Director David Cardenas’ recital of a poemon peace that he wrote specifically for this Republic Day.
The ceremonies continued with Özden Toker’s moving speech, which included personal anecdotes about her childhood days with Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. Ms. Toker also drew attention to the connection between the Lausanne Peace Treaty and the Republic and encouraged students to ask about their families’ experiences during those times. Özden Toker’s speech was met with enthusiasm and was interrupted by frequent applause.
Following Ms. Toker’s speech, Hisar students performed short sketches, recited poems and sang Atatürk’s favorite songs. The program ended with the school choir performing celebratory marches. After the ceremonies, participants visited the interactive “İsmet İnönü from Lausanne to Republic” exhibition that is on display at Hisar thanks to the support of the İnönü Foundation and the Tekfen Foundation.