Abdi İpekçi Parkı

About Abdi İpekçi Parkı

Abdi İpekçi Parkı is the green space on Sıhhiye Meydanı, one of the busiest squares in central Ankara. Formerly known as Yenişehir Parkı, it was opened in 1981 and named in memory of the journalist Abdi İpekçi. ANFA, the Ankara Metropolitan Municipality company that looks after the park, describes it as one of the few parks set right in the busy city centre, offering a quiet place to take a breather from the traffic around it. Its planting screens out much of the surrounding noise, and the lawns, ornamental pool and trees give it a cool, restful feel. The park has wide lawns, an ornamental pool, a tea garden and a children's play area, with a public toilet. Its best-known feature is a sculpture of two hands reaching up towards the sky. According to ANFA, the park was revised in 2023 and now covers 33,120 square metres (Turkish Wikipedia gives an earlier figure of 36,800 square metres). Because of its central position, the park is a popular meeting point during the day and a regular venue for events and organised gatherings.