Arts and culture a must for free thought, Aydın Doğan Foundation President says

ISTANBUL

Arts and culture are a must for free thought, Aydın Doğan Foundation President Hanzade Doğan Boyner has said, adding that only societies with free thinking can move forward.

“Free thinking spreads with art. It infiltrates into the capillary vessels of a society. Only societies with free thinking can move forward,” Boyner said at the opening ceremony of the renewed Aydın Doğan Fine Arts High School on Dec. 5.

“Economic development and increases in national income cannot be the only indicators of becoming contemporary. Only countries with underground natural resources are able to develop economically without free thinking and development in art. There is no other model in the world. That’s why we are very proud to support this fine arts high school,” she added. 

The school in Istanbul’s Ataşehir district was established in 2005 as the Aydın Doğan Elementary School before being made into a fine arts high school. Sculpture and painting ateliers, choirs and orchestra classes have been given at the school and renovations were conducted in the exterior of the building in order to give it a more modern look.

Saying she sees “bright youth” when she looks at the students studying at the school, Boyner added that she believes “graduates will contribute to the development of society through art.”

“As the foundation, we prioritize education and support many issues that would contribute to the development of society. We will do all we can to raise generations that can produce, imagine and give hope and pave the way for those generations. We’ve been working for that aim for 20 years. We will continue our efforts with all our power. What supports us more than anything else is seeing students becoming beneficial individuals. We work with a greater will when we see we can make that contribution,” she said. 

“As long as the foundation continues to raise youth like this, Turkey will continue to move forward,” Boyner added. 

“We are all hosts here today. We are here with artists, teachers, and representatives of ministries because we believe in art and giving the students that chance,” she said. 

Also speaking at the opening ceremony was Education Ministry Deputy Undersecretary Muammer Yıldız, who praised the Aydın Doğan Foundation for setting up aims that are “accurate and right to the point.”
 
“The purpose of the Aydın Doğan Foundation and its main principle is to help art, sports and schools in the disadvantaged areas. The recent dormitory disaster shows how the Aydın Doğan Foundation’s aims are accurate and right to the point,” Yıldız said, referring to the deadly fire that erupted in a girls’ dormitory in the southern province of Adana on Nov. 29. 

“We saw how important it is to build modern dormitories,” he added. 

Another name who spoke at the event was the Ataşehir District Director of National Education Ertuğrul Bilican, who said the aim of the school was to make it the best fine arts high school in Turkey. 

“We are moving towards that. We thank the Doğan family and Aydın Doğan for moving towards that aim,” Bilican said.