Izmir Metropolitan Municipality unveiled the statue of the unforgettable president Ahmet Piriştina on the 18th anniversary of his death. Speaking at the ceremony at the City Archive and Museum, the President Tunç Soyer“I have never stopped protecting the valuable legacy left by Piriştina, I will not give up. We will keep the cherished memory of Ahmet Piriştina alive with our works and by carrying İzmir to the place it deserves in the world.”
Izmir Metropolitan Municipality commemorates the unforgettable mayor of the city, Ahmet Piriştina, on the 18th anniversary of his death. As part of the commemoration activities, the statue of the legendary president Ahmet Piriştina was unveiled with a ceremony in the garden of the City Archive and Museum (APİKAM). Mayor of Izmir Metropolitan Municipality Tunç SoyerThe ceremony was hosted by Ahmet Piriştina, his wife Mine Piriştina, his daughter Zeynep Piriştina, his son Levent Piriştina, his brother Mergim Piriştina, his grandchildren Arya, Miya and Damla Piriştina, Konak Mayor Abdül Batur, İzmir Metropolitan Municipality Deputy Secretary General Barış Karcı and İzmir Metropolitan Municipality. Deputy Secretary General of the Municipality Ertuğrul Tugay, a close colleague of Piriştina and former Konak Mayor Erdal İzgi, former Karşıyaka Mayor Şebnem Tabak, council members, bureaucrats and many citizens attended.
President at the Ceremony Tunç Soyer, stating that Ahmet Piriştina is a mayor who has established a throne in everyone's hearts, “Piriştina was the president of the people. I have always been very proud to be the consultant of Pristina, whom we lost while on duty in 2004. His view of Izmir, his efforts to increase the welfare of the people of Izmir and to improve their quality of life have always enlightened my path. I received my İzmir Metropolitan Municipality mandate on April 8, the birthday of Piriştina. As I said that day, I never gave up protecting the valuable legacy left by Piriştina, I will not give up. I would like to state that his vision and traces have always shed light on our path in the works we carry out within the body of Izmir Metropolitan Municipality. We put Ahmet Piriştina Guest and Writer's House into service in 2020 in order to thank him a little for what he did for Izmir and the people of Izmir. Today, as a result of the competition organized by our Culture and Art Branch Directorate, we are proud to bring the Ahmet Piriştina statue together with the people of İzmir.”
“We will keep it alive”
President Tunç Soyer He continued his words as follows: “The main reason for placing the statue here is that Ahmet Piriştina is one of the first politicians to blend the subject of the city archive and museum with the awareness of urbanity. Because Pristina led Turkey in this regard by opening APIKAM, where we are today. He brought one of the first local history archives and museums opened in Turkey to İzmir. I would like to emphasize once again that we will keep the cherished memory of Ahmet Piriştina alive, both with these works that we named after him, and by taking İzmir to the place it deserves in the world.”
“Our pain is alleviated by friends like you”
Ahmet Piriştina's son, former Buca Mayor Levent Piriştina, said, “The statue of our father, named after him, and which he attaches great importance to, suits our City Archive and Museum very well. On behalf of the Pristina family, the date of June 15th has a different sadness, excitement and sadness for us. Our pain is alleviated by friends like you.”
Sculptor Ahmet Uzun said, “It is an incredible honor for me to make this sculpture. Ahmet Piriştina was someone who I thought would do great things in Turkey had he lived. He wasn't just any manager,” he said.
A competition was opened for the statue of Ahmet Piriştina in 2020, and the sculptor Ahmet Uzun won the competition.
Be the first to comment