February 1, 2018
Chargé d’Affaires Jeffrey M. Hovenier: Good afternoon everyone. Thank you for being here today. On behalf of Embassy Ankara, warmest greetings to Sami Akarsu, Mustafa Akarsu’s son.
We are here to pay tribute to our fallen colleague, Mustafa Akarsu, whose life was cut short six years ago today. We are here to remember and say thank you for his heroic sacrifice. We are safe because he gave his life to protect ours.
Mustafa, I didn’t have the honor of knowing you but I have heard great things about you and we are in your debt, and we remember you with love and gratitude.
I have been told that Akarsu, Mustafas family name means flowing water. And it is for this reason we wanted to remember him with a fountain of flowing water. In a few years, we will hopefully be moving to a new embassy compound. This fountain will also be coming with us to the new compound. Our Office of overseas Buildings has already included this very important memorial in the plans
Finally, I would like to take a moment on behalf of all of the Embassy community, to thank our Local Guard Force, who continue to protect all of us every day with a smile on their face. Thank you for all you do!
