Euro-souvenir note pays tribute to Turkish comic star Kemal Sunal
Turkish comic star Kemal Sunal, who died in 2000, is featured on a special “zero euro” banknote for commemorative purposes. The notes were printed through a special permit issued by the European Central Bank.
Duvar English
The face of Turkish comic star Kemal Sunal has been printed on a special souvenir Euro note to pay tribute to him for the 20th year anniversary of his death, state-run Anadou Agency said on June 8.
The limited-edition Zero Euro note was printed in real euro standards at French security printer Oberthur Fiduciaire, which is licensed by the European Central Bank to issue money for tourism and commemorative purposes.
Some 5,000 "zero euro" banknotes were printed, half of which are offered for sale in Turkey and the remaining half abroad. The special euro bills can be either purchased on internet or at museums.
The Turkey representative of "0 Euro Souvenir Banknotes" project, Özgür Honça, said that the project was launched five years ago in Europe and 1.5 years ago in Turkey.
He said that that they have acquired permission from the Sunal family for the printing of souvenir notes.
Kemal Sunal was known for his slapstick comedy and the characters he portrayed in films, who bordered on naivete. One of the main reasons Sunal was loved by cinema audiences is that the films provided a commentary on sociological, socioeconomic, and political developments of the 1970s and '80s.
Although Sunal was known as “the laughing man,” in a 1985 interview he described himself as “a cold man, talking to very few people,” adding that he liked order in his business and social life.