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Displays Traces Of An
Era In Turkish Politics
development. The museum is also the witness of the Republic. The basic rule of the
Republic is equality. We're the prosecutor of the republic in the museum.”
(Turgut, 2014).
The photos and documents placed in the museum are evidence of this Approximately 90
thousand people have visited since October 26, 2014 the day the museum was opened.
The number of visitors has increased significantly after the death of Demirel on 17 June 2015.
25 thousand people visited the Museum and grave of Demirel in June 2015 (Siviloglu, 2016).
Picture 5. Information and Documentation Center
Picture 6. Çalcatepe Mausoleum
3.1.
Demirel Museum House (Family Home)
The house, in which Demirel was born, was built in 1920. The house is open to visit as the
ethnographic unit of the museum. In this section, belongings, tools, equipment and clothes
used by Demirel and his family are exhibited. The Demirel House indicate the fact that
individuals from a village or a house can become the Prime Minister, President or an
important business person thanks to the democracy.
Picture 7. Father’s House
Picture 8. General Appearance of Father’s House
3.2.
The Barn-Haystack
The barn and haystack located at the lower part of the house was restored in accordance with
the original and it is still used as an exhibition hall. Inside, the photos of Demirel and his
family are exhibited.
138
Muharrem Zafer Çağlar, Nedret
Çağlar
Picture 9. Barn-Haystack
Picture 10. Barn-Haystack
3.3.
Information and Documentation Center
1.
The Information and Documentation Center consists of 46.000 books, 42.000
newspapers and periodicals, 126.000 photographs, a collection of 6.000 audiovisual
materials, 4 thousand tables, 8 thousand presents (carpets, rugs, clothes, badge, models,
honorary doctorates and honorary citizenship documents, objects and so on) and an archive
of 6.000.000 documents that was previously owned by Süleyman Demirel.
2.
3.
4.
Picture 11. Information and Documentation Center
Picture 12. Information and
Documentation Center
5.
6.
7.
Picture 13. Information and Documentation Center
3.4.
Democracy and Development Museum
The construction and design of the final version of the museum took about 20 years time,
Süleyman Demirel and his brother Sevket Demirel put into the final form. The museum
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Displays Traces Of An Era In Turkish Politics
building has a dome-shaped structure that reflects the Seljuk and
Ottoman styles. "These
domes have such a feature. In accordance with Süleyman Demirel's 'I went six times and
came back seven times. I became the ninth President' saying, 7 small domes in the museum
represent the Prime Ministry period, the big dome in the middle represent the Presidency
period, 9 domes at the entrance represent Demirel's being the ninth President" (Siviloğlu,
2016).
8.
There is Demirel statue made of wax in the preamble of the museum. The statue
was made by Y lmaz Büyükerşen. The museum is composed of the following parts:
-
Childhood
and youth periods
-
Period of his being General Directorate of State Hydraulic Works
-
Entrance to politics
-
Periods
of his being Prime minister
-
Foreign policy studies
-
His studies with world leaders
-
Studies
of Turkish world
-
Dams and the Southeastern Anatolia Project
-
Education, health, culture, art and sports activities
-
Leniency Section (cartoons)
-
Presidential term
-
After Presidential term
9.
Picture 14. Wax Statue at the Museum Entrance
Picture 15. Inside the Museum
Picture 16. Inside the Museum
Picture 17. Inside the Museum
3.5.
Demirel Foundation
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Muharrem Zafer Çağlar, Nedret Çağlar
10.
Foundation conducts researches in the fields of museums, library and history. The
foundation also carries out joint projects with domestic and overseas research institutions.
Moreover, Leadership Research and Application Center established by Suleyman Demirel
University provides graduate and doctoral studies in the museum. The Foundation
transmits acts of Demirel to future generations and conveys the fact that a President could
be from a village thanks to democracy.
11.
4.
Conclusion
Süleyman Demirel Democracy and Development Museum not only sheds light on the Turkish
democracy and development history of the last fifty years, but it also describes the epic life
story of a smart and hardworking child of Anatolia. The museum will transfer the painful
struggle and the work Demirel did for the country to future generations. The museum has the
potential to mobilize the domestic and foreign tourism, which has become a major
phenomenon today.
Considering the fact that museums not only exhibit only tangible heritage, but also knowledge
regarding people's survival and progress (Macdonald & Alsford, 1991: 305), the importance
of democracy and development of the museum is better understood.
5.
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