- GULER SABANCI SPEAKS AT THE GALA: "CAN DUNDAR'S EXCITEMENT, AND THE NAME OF THE FILM ("MUSTAFA") HAVE IMPRESSED ME A LOT"
- "LATE SAKIP SABANCI WISHED TO MAKE AN ATATURK MOVIE, HIS WISH HAS PROVIDED SUPPORT FOR OUR CONTRIBUTION"
The gala screening of the film "Mustafa," an NTV & Ko'medya co-production written and directed by Can Dundar, contributed by Sabancı, took place at the Dolmabahce Palace. Delivering a speech at the gala, Sabancı Holding Chairman Guler Sabancı explained why they sponsored the film "Mustafa" as follows:
"Mr. Dundar paid a visit to me to have a coffee. They had just completed the film ‘Mustafa'. He was so excited that I got pretty excited as well, at least as excited as he was. He told me how devotedly, how scrupulously they were working. Finally he said that the name of the documentary was ‘Mustafa.' The second point which impressed me, next to the excitement of Can Dundar, was the name of the documentary. Mustafa as a person, as a human-being... These two factors influenced me to a considerable extent. Then my colleagues watched the film, they left the theatre in tears, as well. Finally we have got the chance of contributing to this project. Thanking the creators of this documentary, I would also like to share something. After having decided to contribute to this documentary, my colleagues who had worked with Mr. Sakip Sabancı, and I have repeated the following anecdote:
It was 10 years ago. Late Mr. Sakip Sabancı had very personally strained at having a Mustafa Kemal Ataturk film made, by meeting with several directors both at home and abroad. That dream of his has become a further support for our contribution as well. I wish that a documentary of this size, which is the first of its kind in Turkey, -and such a documentary would only beseem Mustafa Kemal,- be a Republic Day memory for the youth of our country."