Rare 1926 ATATÜRK Portrait by İbrahim Çallı Vanishes from Prison Storage – Theft Suspected

Discovery and Decades-Long Mystery

Artist Hasan Pekmezci stumbled upon the oil painting in the 1980s while sorting through storage at an Ankara prison following the 1980 coup aftermath. The work, dated 1926 and bearing Çallı's signature, depicts ATATÜRK in a style true to the era's reverence for the Republic's founder.​

Pekmezci, moved by its historical weight, had it restored and hoped it would find a proper home in a museum. For years, it was documented and referenced in art circles, but recent checks reveal it's gone – with Pekmezci now alleging theft from state custody.

Public and media outlets highlight the lapse, questioning how such a national treasure slipped away unnoticed amid prison inventories.

İbrahim Çallı: Master of ATATÜRK Portraits

İbrahim Çallı (1882-1960), a pioneer of Turkish impressionism and leader of the influential "Çallı Generation," revolutionized local painting by embracing outdoor scenes and vibrant colors post-Paris studies.​

He painted ATATÜRK multiple times, often from life or close observation, capturing the leader's essence in works like the 1935 portrait at Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University – seated in an armchair, evoking quiet authority.​

Çallı met ATATÜRK in 1924 İzmir, boldly requesting to portray "the Mustafa Kemal in Turkish hearts," producing some of the most enduring Republican-era images that blend portraiture with national symbolism.