THE 75th ANNIVERSARY OF THE TURKISH REPUBLIC PHONE CARD

Some buildings become a part of our national identity by witnessing the history and even being the places where the history occurs.

When it is the last 75 years of our history mentioned, hundreds of examples for these buildings can be given. Regardless of the construction date and purpose, these buildings are places where the idea of democracy blossomed and changed into reality from an ideal by uniting with the Anatolian people.

These buildings are as important and valuable for our national consciousness as the images of our first homes for our individual stories.

The four photographs in this collection not only demonstrate where the art of photography reached but also exhibit the 75 years-long processes of the existence of the Republic.

The Ethnographical Museum is an expression of how the Turkish nation claimed its own culture and identity. The precious products created by the Turkish culture are exhibited in this museum and kept as a reference source for future generations. Another important aspect that makes the Ethnographical Museum so valuable for our national consciousness is the fact that the remains of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk were kept here until the construction of Anıtkabir.

The State Painting and Sculpture Museum which served as the Turkish Guild Center for years has a distinct place in the evaluation of the first period of the history of the Republic. A wide range of subjects, from women’s rights to Turkish history, was handled for the first time in the meetings organized in this building with the participation of the Turkish intellectuals. Following that period the Turkish Nation met with the innovations, each of which had a revolutionary character.

The invariable character of the reforms is that they were all embraced by the public in a very short period. The reason behind this is that these reforms were carried out in accordance with the people’s wishes, by the members of parliament elected by the public. This is why the building of the second Turkish Grand National Assembly is so valuable as the location in which the Turkish reforms were created.

Ankara Palace is also important in the history of the Republic. This building was constructed shortly after the Great Victory, which laid the pathway to the Republic. The western guests coming to Ankara during the first years of the Republic were hosted in this building, and the members of the parliament and artists coming to Ankara solved their accommodation problem in Ankara owing to Ankara Palace. The balls that took place in Ankara Palace to celebrate the anniversaries of the Republic did not only influence the social life of Ankara but that of all Turkey as well.