ANKARA

The Turkish president on Friday inaugurated the Ataturk Cultural Center in Turkey’s metropolitan Istanbul.

Speaking at the inauguration ceremony on the 98th anniversary of the foundation of the Republic of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan said: “We are striving to repay our debt to the founders of our republic by setting out our 2023 goals and working day and night to achieve them.”

“We will not allow any obstacle, trap, or attack to prevent us from achieving the goals we have set for the 100th anniversary of our Republic,” he added.

All art and cultural activities at the center will contribute to a great and powerful Turkey, the president said.

“The Ataturk Cultural Center will remain standing for centuries as the place where the pulse of culture and art beats in our country,” he said.

Erdogan praised the Koca Sinan opera, which was especially composed for the inauguration, about famed Ottoman architect Mimar Sinan whose ingenious works dot the territory of the former empire, particularly in Istanbul.

The ceremony was also attended by Turkish Vice President Fuat Oktay, Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy, Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu, Environment, Urbanization and Climate Minister Murat Kurum, Family and Social Services Minister Derya Yanik, and Youth and Sports Minister Mehmet Kasapoglu.

In the fall of 2017, Erdogan announced the new project known by its Turkish initials AKM, saying it would be a “symbolic” site in Istanbul.

The groundbreaking ceremony of the cultural complex at the famed Taksim Square was attended by Erdogan along with many Turkish actors and artists.

The new building boasts a world-class opera hall with over 2,000 seats, a theatre hall, backstage rooms, and fair areas.

The center also has meeting rooms, administrative offices, restaurants and art galleries.