― 12 декабря 2017 г.
Statue of Chingis Aitmatov inaugurated in the district of Maltepe in Istanbul
A statue of Chingis Aitmatov, whose short story "Selvi Boylum Al Yazmalım" was once filmed by the Turkish cinema industry, was inaugurated in the district of Maltepe in Istanbul on the occasion of the 89th anniversary of the birthday of the famous Kyrgyz author.
The inaugural ceremony held in the Orhangazi Park gathered the Consul General of Azerbaijan in Istanbul Mesim Haciyev, along with the Consul General of Kyrgyzstan in Istanbul Mirlan Arstanbaev and the Deputy Secretary General of TURKSOY Prof. Dr. Fırat Purtaş as well as many other guests.
The ceremony which started with a minute of silence and the Turkish national anthem went on with the opening speeches.In the speech he delivered, Asgar Aytmatov, the son of Chingis Aitmatov expressed his gratitude for this meaningful gesture in commemoration of the 89th anniversary of the birthday of his father. Asgar Aitmatov further said: "This statue has also a symbolic meaning. My father was a Kyrgyz Turkic man and I do really appreciate this gesture of yours which shows that you do not forget him."
The Mayor of Maltepe Ali Kılıç who also delivered a speech at the ceremony said that just as Yaşar Kemal, Chingis Aitmatov also went to every corner of Anatolia and recounted it in his books. Mr. Kılıç added: "We all have seen the film "Selvi Boylum Al Yazmalım" in Turkey but we did not know that the scenario of this film is actually based on a short story by Aitmatov... With this statue, the memory of Aitmatov will now live forever in this park. Let me therefore extend my gratitude to all members of our party who have contributed to the realization of this project."
In the speech he delivered at the ceremony, the former Mayor of the Metropolitan Municipality of Istanbul Bedrettin Dalan said that Chingis Aitmatov was a notable intellectual of Kyrgyzstan and added:"Aitmatov's works are classics which are appreciated and read worldwide. A critic event said about him that no other author in the world has ever been able to write a novel and love story like "Jamila". I have read all works of Aitmatov. His works do not only describe Kyrgyzstan, they also describe the Anatolian steppe. And, what is even more important than that: his works describe the mankind."
The opening speeches were followed by the inauguration of the statue made by the sculptor from Azerbaijan Senan Eynullayev in three months. The statue also features the names of works written by the famous Kyrgyz author Chingis Aitmatov.
