THOUSANDS PAY THEIR LAST TRIBUTE TO SABANCI
ISTANBUL - A state funeral has taken place in Istanbul out of respect to prominent Turkish businessman Sakip Sabanci who died of complications related to a kidney tumor and cancer that spread to his liver on Saturday at the age of 71.
Besides members of the Sabanci family, politicians, businessmen, artists, Sabanci Holding`s workers, and Turkish citizens attended the funeral on Monday to pay their last tribute to Sabanci.
Parliament Speaker Bulent Arinc, Presidential Secretary General Kemal Nehrozoglu, Acting Prime Minister Abdullah Gul, State Minister Kursad Tuzmen, State Minister Guldal Aksit, Interior Minister Abdulkadir Aksu, National Defense Minister Vecdi Gonul, Industry and Trade Minister Ali Coskun, Finance Minister Kemal Unakitan, Energy and Natural Resources Minister Hilmi Guler, Environment and Forestry Minister Osman Pepe, Labor and Social Security Minister Murat Basesgioglu, True Path Party (DYP) leader Mehmet Agar, Republican People`s Party (CHP) Deputy Chairman, representatives of the other political parties and First Army Commander General Yasar Buyukanit were among those who attended the funeral.
In his message, President Ahmet Necdet Sezer said, ``Mr. Sabanci had undertaken important roles in development process of Turkish industry and economy. The Turkish nation will always remember Sabanci with appreciation, for his colorful personality and his services.``
Meanwhile, speaking at the funeral, Acting Prime Minister Gul said, ``the best way of commemorating Sabanci is to work for Turkey. We all should work and produce to create Sabanci`s ideal Turkey. We have lost a prominent businessman, and the biggest protector of education.``
Sabanci was born in the central province of Kayseri in 1933, the second of six sons of cotton-trader and textile factory owner Haci Omer Sabanci.
After his father`s death, Sakip Sabanci took over the family business in 1967, assisted by his brothers, and built it into an empire with more than 30 thousand employees.
He was acting as president of the executive board of the Sabanci Holding, one of the two largest, family-owned industrial holdings in Turkey.
Sabanci was also known as a philanthropists who founded the charitable Vaksa foundation, which runs more than 100 health, education and culture centers throughout Turkey. He contributed millions to education in Turkey and set up a university named after the family.
His colorful personality, his sense of humor and his philanthropy, endeared him to millions who called him Sakip Aga.
He was a passionate art collector and his collection of paintings, statues and Ottoman calligraphy are exhibited at the longtime family villa overlooking the Istanbul Strait, which was turned into the Istanbul Sabanci Museum two years ago. His calligraphy collection was displayed at New York`s Metropolitan Museum of Art, Deutsche Guggenheim Berlin and the Louvre in Paris.
(UK-AY) 12.04.2004