Türkiye renovated 164 museums in 20 years: Erdoğan

ISTANBUL

The government has opened 56 museums across Türkiye and renovated the buildings of 18 others, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said on Oct. 9.

“Today, we are not only enjoying the joy of bringing a work to Istanbul that will become a brand and a center of attraction in its field. Today, we also feel the pride of reviving Türkiye’s modern art heritage in this beautiful building,” Erdoğan said at the opening ceremony of Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University’s (MSGSÜ) Istanbul Painting and Sculpture Museum.

The construction of the Istanbul Painting and Sculpture Museum was completed last year, he said, adding the building was overhauled and restored.

Pointing out that there were only 320 works in the first exhibition in 1937, Erdoğan said the collection of the Istanbul Painting and Sculpture Museum has exceeded 10,000 today.

A total of 749 works of 277 artists were featured in the opening collection, he added.

“With its modern design, central location, security equipment of the highest standards and aesthetic features, the Istanbul Painting and Sculpture Museum has become a magnificent work that befits our city in every respect. We probably wouldn’t have made a wrong identification if we call this the ‘contemporary art memory’ of our country,” he said.

Erdoğan also elaborated on the murder of musician Onur Şener, who was killed in Ankara last week in a quarrel with a group of customers at the nightclub. “It is neither moral nor humane to exploit the pain of a musician brother who was brutally murdered, to make it political material and to see different accounts over such a sad incident. Of course, we will show our reaction. We will follow the issue so that the perpetrators receive the punishment they deserve,” he said.