ISTANBUL - Macedonian Culture Minister Blagoj Stefanovski who is currently in Istanbul upon the celebrations of the 550th anniversary of Istanbul's Conquest, visited Istanbul Governor Guler on Monday.
Stefanovski said in the meeting that Bitola had special importance as Mustafa Kemal Ataturk graduated from Bitola Military Preparatory School, adding that there was ''Ataturk Memory Room'' in the school and they attributed special importance to maintaining that room. Noting that the house of Ataturk's father was also restored in Macedonia, Stefanovski said that the house would also be presented as a memory house.
Guler said that in his part that 550th anniversary of Istanbul was celebrated, thanking the Macedonian Culture Minister for the support Bitola and Skopje theatre teams extended to the project of ''Istanbul-Place-Theatre'' which was organized within the scope of celebrations.
Guler said that there were brotherhood ties between the two countries, adding that ''our guests attended the celebrations as if they were held in their country.''
Bitola Mayor Zlatko Viskouski stated that ''Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founder of Turkish Republic is also our citizen. We are proud of him.''
(Öª) 02.06.2003