As proud of their Turkish heritage

"He said if the Chinese knew the Turks were holding a line, they would attack from another direction," Ercan said. "Turkish warriors have long been known for their fearlessness."

But pride of Turkish warriors in battle was only a small part of Sunday’s celebration, where about 6,000 Turks, Turkish-Americans and others gathered to celebrate Turkish Children’s Day, a traditional holiday during which Turkish children swap places with heads of state, even approving legislation, in the place of grown-ups.

"It’s a holiday where children actually run the Grand National Assembly in Turkey," said festival volunteer Pinar Tabacai, who emphasized that the festival was mainly child-oriented. "It’s a holiday where we celebrate Turkish independence and celebrate our children, the future of our people."

To that end, the festival included young Turkish folk dancers, literary readings by Turkish children, traditional Turkish music and belly dancers.

The nation, about the size of Texas with a population around 67 million, is 92 percent Muslim. It is currently estimated that as many as 500,000 Turks and Turkish-Americans live in the United States.

The Florida-Turkish American Society currently has about 700 members, with about 30 members of the organization putting together Sunday’s festival.

Festival visitors enjoyed entertainment, arts and crafts and authentic food and drink from a nation known by many, and understood by few.

German-American Gerda Potz, a resident of Coral Springs, said she gained a keen interest in Turkey after visiting a Turkish school in 2002.

"We were just on a group tour, and the school we visited fascinated me," Potz said. "The school had practically nothing, but the children were very well-mannered and well educated." Potz said. "We started a book drive to get them some of the books they needed to run the school."

"It was a pleasure helping the children of a nation with a history so linked to ours," Potz said.

Peter Bernard can be reached at [email protected]