' O Turkish youth, your first duty
Turkish independence Turkish Republic
It is to preserve and defend forever.
This is the sole basis of its existence and independence.
This foundation is your most precious treasure.
The strength you need
It is present in the noble blood in your veins...'
1929 Ghazi Mustafa Kemal
It is one of the first examples made by Turkey's first sculptor Kenan Ali Yontuç in 1929 with the exact measurements of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. It is a marble statue erected in front of the Government House. It shows Atatürk in his real dimensions, with his head uncovered, in a redcoat and with a normal stance. It is one of the first locally made sculptures as an independent design.
The work, which is made entirely of marble with its pedestal, was placed in front of the Tekirdag Governor's Office in 1929. The last part of Atatürk's address to the youth is written on its base.
The statue, which was removed for repair and maintenance in 2012 and a copy of it was placed in its place, will be exhibited in Tekirdağ Ethnography Museum after its maintenance.
