Çankaya Mansion

The Çankaya Mansion (Turkish: Çankaya Köşkü) is the official residence of the vice president of Turkey and previously the official residence of the president of Turkey from 1923 to 2014.

Originally, the mansion belonged to the Armenian Kasabian family, who lost possession of it during the Armenian genocide. The property is located in the Çankaya district of Ankara, which lends its name to the palace. The Çankaya Campus is home to several buildings, including the mansion and stretches over 195 hectares (480 acres) of land with its unique place in the history of the Turkish Republic.

The Çankaya Campus houses Atatürk's Museum Mansion, the Çankaya Mansion, the office of the Chief Aide-de-Camp, the Glass Mansion, State Supervision Council, the Financial Affairs and Preservation Directorate buildings, Press Conference Hall, reception halls, fire department building, social facility, garage, greenhouse, artificial turf sports area, tennis court and employee lodgings.

In 2014, the president moved to the newly built Cumhurbaşkanlığı Külliyesi, with Çankaya Mansion becoming the official residence of the Prime Minister. Since the transition to a presidential system from 2017 onwards, the Çankaya Mansion has served as the official residence of the Vice President of Turkey.

Early history

The land upon which the Çankaya Mansion now stands was a vineyard that belonged to Ohannes Kasabian, an Armenian jeweller and merchant. The vineyard and house were confiscated by the Bulgurluzâde family after the Kasabian family fled Ankara to escape the Armenian genocide and settled in Istanbul.

When Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, who would go to serve as the first president of Turkey, saw the building in 1921, he took a strong liking to the property and purchased it from Bulgurluzâde Tevfik Efendi for 4500 liras. When he initially arrived in Ankara in 1919, Atatürk settled in the Angora School of Agriculture. Following his election as speaker of the Grand National Assembly on 23 April 1920, he moved into a stone house at the railway station, which was once station master's lodge, known as the Direction House. On 30 May 1921, Atatürk settled in the vineyard lodge, which, after repairs, became known as the Çankaya Mansion.

Museum Mansion

In 1924, architect Mehmet Vedat Bey undertook some renovations on the Kasabian Mansion, including adding a second floor for new bedrooms, a framed window entrance at the front, a pantry and kitchen at the rear, and a tower onto the side. In 1926, a central heating system was added. This Mansion became Mareşal Atatürk's home until he moved to the new Çankaya Mansion in June 1932. The building was then named "Army House" after Atatürk transferred it to the Turkish Army. The mansion has held a very important place in the history of the Republic. In 1950, after some renovations, it was opened as a museum for public access. In 1986, major restoration works were completed. Since then, a conservation programme has been implemented to preserve the mansion in its original form, with all its original fittings and furniture. The building lacks the opulence of a large palace and is unpretentious, yet styled and designed for practical use. It served as Commander-in-chief Atatürk's headquarters during the National Campaign and the years of westernizing transformations and reforms. Having witnessed to a number of defining moments at a time when the War of Independence was fought and the Republic was founded, today, it is carefully preserved as a tribute to Atatürk's memory.

Çankaya Mansion

Despite the fact that expansion and renovation activities were made twice at the Museum Mansion, when it remained inadequate to meet the gradually increasing needs, it was decided in 1930 to have a new building constructed. Upon the request of Atatürk, the construction of the new Mansion was given to the famous Austrian architect Prof. Dr. Clemens Holzmeister. After Holzmeister assumed the duty on 20 May 1930, he prepared the first draft five days later and two days after he made the changes requested by Atatürk, he delivered the project draft and it is known that he presented the definite plan and model to Atatürk at Yalova on 27 July 1930. Atatürk, after deciding on the place of construction in November 1930, left the decisions related to the construction completely to Holzmeister. The Austrian architect brought all of the architectural structure material from Austria. A part of the interior spaces of the mansion were designed at the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna. Holzmeister, who started the construction of the Çankaya Mansion at the beginning of 1931, completed it in a short period of time, such as 1.5 years, and delivered it in June 1932. The entrance story of the mansion, which is made as two stories above a basement, is the working area and place where guests are received. Whereas, the upper story was arranged as the residence. The Çankaya Mansion, which reflects the combination of the traditional Turkish house style with the ease of life of the West, besides being the residence and working areas of Atatürk from 1932 until his death, since it was designed by taking his requests and warnings into account, it is also of value and importance from the aspect of showing his taste and the lifestyle he envisaged. After Atatürk, the Çankaya Mansion gave services, both as a residence and as an office building to İsmet İnönü, Celal Bayar, Cemal Gürsel, Cevdet Sunay, Fahri Korutürk, Kenan Evren, Turgut Özal and Süleyman Demirel, who assumed the duty of President. The mansion, starting from the ninth president Süleyman Demirel, was only used as a residence with the completion of the new service buildings.