SUPPORT FOR 'SANTRAL' MUSEUM OF ART AND INDUSTRY

Dogus and Ciner groups, two of Turkey's largest media conglomorates, invested 3 million US dollars each in a partnership for the first Art and Industry Museum of Turkey, namely "Silahtaraga Santral". The ceremony hosted by Bilgi University was held on site. There I had the chance to address the audience and to thank both groups for their generous support. I am proud to be one of the earliest supporters of this project and assume responsibility as a member of the Board of Trustees.

Established in 1911, the first power plant of the Ottoman Empire, Santral, had stopped operating in 1983. However, in May 2005, Bilgi University set out on an intricate journey to develop Istanbul into an incredible culture and art center, leased Santral from the Department of Energy and attempted to convert the ancient power station into a culture center consisting of various facilities such as a modern art museum, library, international residence program, theatre, workshops, concert halls and training centers. 'The Santral Museum of Art and Industry' will start operating around October 2006 and this will relatively contribute to the project of 'The European Cultural Capital of 2010: Istanbul'.