[Daughters_of_Ataturk] Ataturk Monument in the US - a propoal by Adnan Gursoy of Gemlik

Yuksel Oktay <yukseloktay@yahoo.com> wrote:

Date: Thu, 20 Mar 2008 23:12:20 -0700 (PDT)
From: Yuksel Oktay <yukseloktay@yahoo.com>
Subject: Ataturk Monument in the US - a propoal by Adnan Gursoy of Gemlik

Dear All,

 

There are statues or busts of Ataturk in Bucharest, Romania, Havana, Cuba, Santiago, Chile, Japan, Australia and New Zealand, and perhaps in other countries too, but none in the US, as far as I know. During a visit to Canakkale and Gelibolu for the Sea Victory Week celebrations, I visited the workshop of sculptor Prof. Dr. Tankut Okdem and met with his assistant, Adnan Gursoy, who told me that Ulker Aksu had spoken to Prof. Okdem about creating a statue for the US a year ago. Mr. Gursoy suggested that Prof. Okdem's workshop and studio could provide statues or busts of Ataturk in case Turkish-American associations in the US would be interested in establishing memorials with Ataturk's bust or statues as a project. His address is :"Adnan Gürsoy" <tavarish48@hotmail.com> . If interested please feel free to forward to T-A Associations and others. 

 

Prof. Oktem's latest monument was inaugurated in Ecebat on March 16 in celebrating the Canakkale Sea Victory, as summarized in an article below.

 

Thank you and begards.

 

Yuksel Oktay

 

                     CANAKKALE Sea Victory Day Celebrations

   Respect to History Park and Monument in Eceabat and Resurrection

 

                                              18 March 2008

 

18 March is being celebrated as Martyrs Day and Canakkale Sea Victory Week in and around Canakkale and  accros Turkey with many activites and the inauguration of a new park in Eceabat with a monument by Turkey's sculptor, Prof. Dr. Tankut Oktem. The opening ceremony of the week long activities took place at the ''Cimenlik Kalesi'' in Canakkale on March 12, followed by many conferences, concerts and exhibitions through 18 March. An exhibition of photographs, taken during the Gallipoli campaign by Colonel Haydar Mehmet Alganer, including the most famous photograph of Mustafa Kemal in Ariburnu, took place at the Sea Museum, in Canakkale. The final phase of a project that was started by Opet in 2006 to renovate nine historical vilages in the Gallipoli Peninsula was completed with the opening of the ''Respect to History Park'' in Eceabat where the 12 meter high monument is the center piece.

 

The history of Canakkale region goes back to around 5000 BC, known also as Troas. The city of Canakkale was called Hellespot, taking its name from Princess Helle who falls off the ram when she a was sent away by her stepmother, according to mythology. The Canakkale straits link the Mediterenean and the Aegean Seas to the Marmara and the Black Sea.

 

                    The 93rd Anniversary of The Gallipoli Campaign, 1915

 

The Gallipoli campaign and the victory of the Turkish forces is one of the most important events in the history of the First World War and the world. The deadlock on the Western Front in 1915 and the struggles of the Russian army in the east prompted First Lord of the Admiralty Winston Churchill to convince the British cabinet to strike in Gallipoli and pave the way to the capture of  Turkish capital of Constantinople (Istanbul.) The campaign began with an attempt to force the Dardannelles by naval force alone which failed when the Turkish forces sank three Allied battleships on March 18, 1915, part of a 16 ship armada and the British and French navy withdrew from the area.

 

Following this failure, British Secretary of State for War, Lord Kitcehener, decided on a land invasion with a mission to seize Gallipoli peninsula and clear the way for the Royal navy to capture Constantinople (Istanbul.) The attack was launced on 25 April 1915 at Cape Helles and the Anzacs came ashore at Ari Burnu but were stopped by the Turkish defence forces commanded by Mustafa Kemal. The campaign was stalled until October and the allied forced evacuated the area in December 1915. April 25 is celebrated by the Australian and New Zealand states which is considered to be the defining moment for the creation of their nations.

 

                                   Respect to History Park and Monument

 

On Sunday, 17 March, a new park was inaugurated next to the boat terminal in Eceabat, called Respect to History Park. The park includes a miniature model of the Gallipoli Peninsula with identification of places where the battles took place and the national cemeteries for countries that participated in the battle and the memorials. The center piece is the 12 meter high monument of Prof. Dr. Tankut Oktem which includes Ataturk at the top and his most famous saying, ''Peace at Home, Peace in the World'', and replicas of monuments locared in various parts of Gallipolu, including the famous statue of a Turkish soldier carrying a wounded Australian soldier (Photo 1.) The monument was conceived and started by Prof. Dr. Tankut Oktem before his death in a car accident on 5 December 2007 and completed by his associates and students.

 

The park also has a miniature model of the trences with old rifles and memorabalia scattered around.. There are also busts of 8 war heroes, including Mustafa Kemal, in the park.

 

                    Dirilis (Resurrection), Canakkale 1915, by Turgut Ozakman

 

A new book was published in early March that tells the story of Canakkale and the Ottoman Empire in 1915. The second of a trilogy on the events of the 20th century that saw the demise of the Ottoman Empire and the establishment of the Turkish Republic, by he author of ''Su Cilgin Turkler - Those Crazy Turks'', Turgut Ozakman's book Dirilis-Resuýrrection, is 686 pages and includes many photographs. There are over 100 pages of footnotes and over 15 pages of references. The author stated recently that he is working on his third book, ''Cumhuriyet'' on the War of Independence.

 

Yuksel Oktay, PE

Eceabat, Canakkale, 18 March 2008

 

Yuksel Oktay <yukseloktay@yahoo.com> wrote:

 

Amerika'daki Turkler Turk Televizyon Programlarinda ve Bir Teklif - 2/3 Mart 2008

 

Besiktas'in Galatasaray'i 1-0 yenip zirveye ciktigi 2 Mart Pazar gecesi, macdan sonra  tesadufen actigim Star TV kanalindaki ''Alaturka Pop Star'' programinda Turk-Amerikan dernekleri Federasyonu yeni baskani Kaya Bozbey kisa bir konusma yapti. Yarismanin brincisini Amerika'ya davet etti. Pop Star Birincisinin, Mayis ayindaki Turk Gunu Yuruyusune katilmasida sagalanacakmis.

 

Ayni saatlerde, SkyTurk kanalinda,''Gurkan Hacir'la Simdiki Zaman'' programinda degerli kadin yazar Alev Alatli ile bir roportaj vardi. Edebiyat ve kitap hakkindaki konusmalardan sonra Gurkan Hacir, Alatli'ya Turkiye'nin durumunu nasil gordugunu, Turkiye'nin bolunme tehlikesinin olup olmadigini ve turban meselesinin nasil cozulecegini sordu. Neredeyse uc saat suren roportajin sonunda Alatli'nin bu uc onemli soruya verdigi cevaplar soyledi:.

 

1. Turkiye'nin bolunecegini zannetmiyorum.
2. Genc kizlarimiz baslarini acarlarsa turban meselesi cozulur.
3. Amerika'da 4,500'in ustune Turk bilim adamimiz var (bilim kadinimiz dahil). Bunlarla nasil kopru kurabiliriz, bunu dusunmemiz lazim.

Amerika'nin New York sehrinde, 9 Nisan Mimar Sinan'i anma vesilesiyle, 1970 senesinde kurulmus Turk-Amerikan Muhendis, Mimar ve Ilim Adamlari Dernegi var. Hala faaliyetlerini devam ettirmekte. Sonra Washington DC'de ''Turk Ilim Kurumu'' adinda baska bir dernek kuruldu, o zamanki Washington Buyukelcisi Sukru Elekdag'in cabalariyla. Birde bir kac sene evvel hayata gecen ve 24 Mart 2008'de ucuncu genel kurul toplantisini yapacak Ilimciler ve Bilgiler'den olusan yeni bir dernek daha var, Turkish American Scientists and Scholars Association (TASSA). Hatta bu dernegin baskani, Suleyman Gokoglu, gecenlerde TRT2'deki, 100ncu programini kutlayan ''Yeni Ufuklar'' 'da konusdu ve dernegin faaliyetleri hakkinda bilgi verdi.

 

Alatli son gunlerde Zaman gazetesi ile yollarinin ayrilmasi haberi ile gundemde cok konusulan ve hakkinda cok yazi yazilan, Rusya uzerine kitaplari ile taninmis bir yazar. Dunyanin br cok ulkesinden programlar yayinliyor. Ýzleyicelerden gelen bir soru uzerine, Zaman gazetesinin iyi bir gazete oldugunu soyledi.. Zaman gazetesinin ''Todays Zaman'' adinda ingilizce yayinladigi bir gazeteside var.. Acaba Kurkan Hacir'in ''Simdiki Zaman'' programi bu gazetenin Turkce sesli gazete versiyonumu? TASSA'nin SkyTurk ve diger televizyonlarla beraber Alatli ile temas etmesi ve faaiyetlerini Turk kamuoyuna aktarmasi herhalde faydali olur.

 

                     Kumla'da Prof. Dr. Tankut Oktem Heykeltras Muzesi

 

Birde 3 mart Pazartesi gecesi, Olay TV'de, Turkiye'nin en unlu ve en buyuk heykeltrasi rahmetli Prof Dr.  Tankut Oktem hakkinda bir belgesel vardi, ''Konusan Belgeler.''. 5 Aralik 2007'de, Istanbul'da, ters yola giren bir kamyon surucusu tarafindan hayatina son verilen Prof Tankut'un inanilmaz hayat oykusu, kizlari ve yakin arkadasi Emin Ilter tarafindan anlatildi ve vasiyetnamesi okundu. Bu gunlerin en cok konusulan Genel Kurmay Baskani Sayin Yasar Buyukanit'a hitaben yazili bir mektupda, Emin Ilter, Muze'nin kurulmasina destek isteniyor. Time dergisine kapak olan Ataturk heykeli gibi yuzlerce eser yaratmis olan Prof Tankut'un muzesine Amerika'daki Turkler katkida bulunabilir ve Sayin Tankut  Ataturk heykellerinden birisinin New York'da, belki Brooklyn semtinde, dikilmesine vesile olabilirler. Turkiye'ye ve Turkler'e sempatisi ile taninan Brooklyn belediye baskaninin bu projeye on ayak olacagini, Amerika'daki butun Turk, Turk-Amerikan derneklerinin ve Turklerin destekleyecegini umit ederim.

 

Prof. Tankut Oktem'in eseri olan, Turkiye'nin en yuksek heykeli, muhtesem Kuva-i Milliye Aniti, Manisa – Izmir yolu uzerindedir (Bununla  ilgili bir yazi asagida verilmisdir.) Kumla, Bursa'ya yakin bir kasaba, Prof. Tankut Oktem'in Ataturk dusmanlari tarafindan iki defa yakilmis olan fakat hala ayakta olan ve muzeye donusturulmesi dusunulen atolyesinin  oldugu yer.

 

Yuksel Oktay, PE

4 Mart 2008

Istanbul 

 

 

 

KUVAY-I MILLIYE MONUMENT INAUGURATED IN MANISA, TURKEY

 

(Turkey's Tallest and the World's Third Tallest)

 

August 13, 2004, Manisa

 

One of the most meaningful monuments in Turkey was inaugurated near Manisa recently in honor of the Nationalist Forces (Kuvay-i Milliye) who were the first volunteers to fight against the invading Greek army and initiate the War of Independence under the leadership of Mustafa Kemal. The tall structure with a sculpture of Ataturk's head near the top and two youth with the lady holding an olive branch towards the center is located in between the two lane highway that runs from Izmir to Manisa. There is a beautiful park around the monument as well.

 

The 68 meter high monument is the work of Sculptor Prof. Dr. Tankut Okdem, who had to sell his two houses when the funds from the Manisa Governor's office dried out. Prof. Dr. Okdem is probably best known sculptor in Turkey with many of his statutes located in countries around the world from Korea to the United States. His monument in front of the Army War School made the cover of Time magazine several years ago.

 

(Photograph 1 and 2).

 

Yuksel Oktay,PE

 

Prof. Dr. Tankut Oktem, the Creator of the Tallest Monument in Turkey,killed in a car accident on Decmber 5, 2007.

 

December 5, 2007 was a sad day for Turkey. One of the greatest living sculptor Prof. Dr. Tankut Oktem was killed when the car that he was in with his daughter and wife was hit by a truck driver going in the wrong direction backwards. His wife was also hurt and daughter Pinar Oktem Dogan, a reporter, and assistant Kadir Ozyalcin, were saved with minor injuries.

 

Prof. Oktem was the founder of the Sculptor Department at Marmara University Fine Arts Faculty, where he taught and created many sculptors and monuments at his workshop in Kucukkumla, Gemlik. The tallest monument in Turkey, and the third tallest in the world, the Kuway-i Milliye Monument near Manisa, was inaugurated only a few years ago. The monument with 700 officers and Ataturk that adorns the Army Academy was on the cover of Time magazine. He won many awards abroad and in Turkey and was working on an Ataturk statue for the Turkish Republic of Norther Cyprus. Among the hundreds of sculpters, statues and monuments are ''Yarali Asker - Wounded Soldier Monument'' in Gelibolu, ''Kastamonu Turk Kadinlar Aniti - Turkish Women Monumnet,'' Nazim Hikmet statue, Nazim Hikmet Sttaue and ''Sevgi Aniti'' in Seoul, S. Korea.

 

Prof. Oktem was born in Konya in 1940 and studied at the State Fine Arts Academy in Istanbul. He won his first award in the competition ''World Young Sculptors'' while he was a student which was followed by many others. His theme has always been to pass on the stories of the Republic to the young generations. In 1999 he was given the title of ''State Artist.' Our condolonces to his family and friends who will miss him him dearly.

December 7, 2007

 

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Daughters of Atatürk is proud to promote Turkish Heritage across the globe. Mustafa Kemal Atatürk shaped the legacy we proudly inherited.
His integrity and dynamism and vision constantly inspires us. We are thankful to him for walking the untrodden path, achieving the unimaginable dream, living the eternal vision. We are the Turks, we are the future of Turkey.

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www.DofA.org
www.wearetheturks.org

Daughters of Atatürk is proud to promote Turkish Heritage across the globe. Mustafa Kemal Atatürk shaped the legacy we proudly inherited.
His integrity and dynamism and vision constantly inspires us. We are thankful to him for walking the untrodden path, achieving the unimaginable dream, living the eternal vision. We are the Turks, we are the future of Turkey.

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