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THE EMBASSY OF REPUBLIC OF TURKEY

WHERE IS IT?

The Embassy of the Republic of Turkey is located at the corner of Kneza Miloša and Krunska streets in building number 1.

THE HISTORY

In the current building, the embassy has been located since 1933. The renovation of the building began in 2014, and two years later, it was opened for operations. The present-day Turkish Embassy building was formerly the Vračar Cooperative's property, specifically owned by the Veljković family, who were its majority shareholders.

In 1912, Stojan Veljković purchased the plot on which there was a modest house where J. J. Zmaj had stayed for some time. Stojan Veljković later sold it to the Vračar Cooperative, in which the Veljković family held the majority stake.

The building of the Veljković family in Birčaninova Street

 

 

THE DESIGN

This building was designed by architect Živojin Nikolić in 1924,  in the style of academic classicism, featuring five prominent facade statues atop the building. These statues were crafted by Vukosava Velimirović, the first Serbian female sculptor. The sculptures represent Maritime (a female figure with a ship's anchor), Agriculture (a female figure with a sickle and sheaf of wheat), Household (a female figure with a distaff), Industry (a female figure with a wheel), and Viticulture (a female figure with a jug and a basket of fruit) facing the courtyard facade.

Smaller figurative compositions above the windows on the first floor facing Kneza Miloša Street symbolize agriculture, while two female figures on the corner represent brotherhood, and two male figures facing Krunska Street symbolize craftsmanship. A pair of female figures is repeated towards the courtyard side, symbolizing art. Smaller sculptures on the facade were created by Živojin Lukić.

The sculptures of the allegories of Agriculture and Fertility

Vojislav Veljković, son of Stojan Veljković, was responsible for organizing an exhibition of sculptures and casts of Renaissance works in the garden of this building. He was one of the first holders of a law degree in Serbia, serving as the Minister of Finance who initiated the printing of dinars. Veljković was also a significant patron of the arts. During his stay in Paris, he commissioned the creation of casts, which was a costly endeavor. Veljković had to obtain permission from Pope Pius XI and ensure special conditions for the preservation of bronze casts. For replicas of works like "The Thinker," "Moses," statues of "Day and Night," and other artworks, Veljković built a museum known as the Veljković Pavilion on Birčaninova Street.

Vojislav Veljković passed away in 1931, not witnessing the completion of the building on Birčaninova. After WWII, the museum and its collection were nationalized, and the collection was dispersed. Of the 21 replicas that arrived by train from France, 18 statues were preserved in Belgrade and handed over to the Faculty of Fine Arts, while two smaller pieces are located in the art school on Šumatovačka Street. The collection included not only sculptures but also paintings and works of applied arts such as porcelain and carpets.

The interior of the embassy has undergone partial modifications through a reconstruction carried out in 2014. The entrance to the embassy is located at the corner of Kneza Miloša and Krunska streets, as well as from the courtyard side. In this part of the embassy, there is a representative area with a reception salon and a memorial exhibition dedicated to Ambassador Galip Balkar. Ambassador Balkar served as the Turkish Ambassador to the SFRY and was tragically killed in a terrorist attack on March 9, 1983, in the center of Belgrade. The attack occurred on Resavska Street when the ambassador's car stopped at a traffic light. A memorial plaque in honor of Turkish Ambassador Galip Balkar is now located on the building in Resavska Street.

Memorial plaque in honor of Turkish Ambassador Galip Balkar in Resavska Street, Belgrade

BILATERAL RELATIONS

The cooperation between Serbia and Turkey began in the second half of the 19th century. Bilateral relations between the Principality of Serbia and Turkey were established in 1879. After Serbia gained independence at the Berlin Congress in 1878, it acquired the right to send a representative to Constantinople. Jovan Antić was the first Serbian representative, while the first representative of independent Serbia was the politician and diplomat Filip Hristić. In 1886, Turkey appointed Yusuf Ziya Paşa as its representative in Belgrade.

In the early 20th century, the renewal of diplomatic relations with Turkey was delayed due to the effects of World War I, the Greco-Turkish War, and the absence of signed international agreements. During the Kingdom of SHS, diplomatic ties with Turkey were renewed and strengthened. In 1925, Turkey appointed Yusuf Hikmet Bey as its envoy, and in 1926, the Kingdom of SHS sent Tihomir Popović as its envoy to Constantinople. The formation of the Balkan Pact in 1934 established a military-political alliance between Yugoslavia, Turkey, Greece, and Romania, with the member states mutually supporting each other. This pact further solidified the relationships with these countries. As a result, in 1939, diplomatic relations were upgraded to the level of embassies, with Ilija Šumenković becoming the first ambassador, while the first Turkish ambassador was Tefik Kamil Koperler.

Cooperation between Turkey and the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia continued to develop in the post-war period, and relations with Turkey significantly advanced in the early 21st century.

The building of the Turkish Embassy

The participants of the BEOgradska avanTURA project had the opportunity to visit the Embassy of the Republic of Turkey on June 19, 2022. During the visit, they toured the embassy building with a professional guide, Mehmet Yılmazat, the Education Advisor at the Turkish Embassy. They were also given the opportunity to take photographs of all the rooms and the artistic values within them.

Statue of a woman with a scroll and pencil

 

 

 

Written by Angelina Mladenović i Marija Popović