Two ceremonies to be held for Atatürk statue

ARTVİN - Doğan News Agency

Two rival ceremonies will be held for the 22-meter-Atatürk statue. DHA photo

Turkey’s largest Atatürk statue, made by the founder and executive board chairman of the Kahvecioğlu Foundation, Sıtkı Kahvecioğlu, at a cost of 4 million Turkish Liras in the Black Sea province of Artvin, will be unveiled on May 19. However Kahvecioğlu said he had not been invited to the official ceremony by the Artvin Governor’s Office would hold his own. 

Speaking to the press in Atatepe, where the 22-meter statue is located, Kahvecioğlu said when he had attempted to construct the statue, which was one of his dreams, the Provincial Directorate of Youth and Sport had asked his support for a shooting range. 

“We agreed to build a shooting range and the Atatürk statue on an area of 7,000 square meters. I built the shooting range and Turkey’s largest Atatürk statue next to it. The governor’s office asked me to hand over the statue, and I told them that I would not hand it over to anyone. We had discussions with Governor Necmettin Kalkan, and he told me they would hold the unveiling on May 19 and would not invite me to the ceremony. The statue will be unveiled on May 19 at a ceremony and they did not invite me.” 

Kahvecioğlu said he had asked to hold the unveiling ceremony on March 7 with Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. “But he had another meeting on this date. I have no problem with any politicians. I am finished with earthly affairs and am preparing for the afterlife. I wanted Republican People’s Party [CHP] chairman Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, but the governor is making a program for the unveiling of the statue that is completely his and does not include me. So I have sent 4,000 invitations; they will organize their ceremony at 10:30 a.m., and I will organize mine at 1:30 p.m.,” he said.