List of
notable diplomats of the
Republic of Turkey, past and present. The names are listed in an alphabetical order according to their last names, with their positions and other relevant information.
Cem İpekçi, İsmail (born 1940
Istanbul – d. January 24, 2007, Istanbul) is a Turkish politician, statesman and former minister of foreign affairs of Turkey. He served as foreign minister from June 30, 1997 until July 10, 2002. He was the fourth longest-serving minister of this position. He was a member of
Republican People's Party.
Diriöz, Hüseyin is an ambassador, previously the chief advisor to the
President of Republic of Turkey on
foreign policy, and currently Assistant Secretary General of NATO.
Kent, Necdet (1911–2002): was a Turkish diplomat who risked his life to save
Jews during
World War II. He was posted as Consul General to
Marseilles between 1941 and 1944, gave Turkish citizenship to dozens of Turkish Jews living in
France who did not have proper identity papers to save them from deportation to the
Nazi gas chambers. He was honored with Turkey's Supreme Service Medal as well as a special medal from
Israel for rescuing Jews during
the Holocaust along with
Selâhattin Ülkümen and
Namık Kemal Yolga.[1]
Kuneralp, Zeki (1914–1998
Istanbul): He served as the Turkish ambassador to a number of countries in
Europe. His wife, Necla Kuneralp, and a retired ambassador,
Beşir Balcıoğlu, were killed in an attack by Armenian militants, along with their driver, Antonio Torres, while he was serving as the Turkish ambassador to
Spain.
Türkmen, Doğan: He served in
Lagos as ambassador of the
Republic of Turkey to
Nigeria from January 28, 1969, to December 16, 1971.[2] While serving as ambassador of Turkey to
Bern,
Switzerland, he was attacked by an Armenian gunman. He escaped with minor injuries.
U
Ülkümen, Selâhattin (1914–2003): He was a
Turkishdiplomat on the island of
Rhodes,
Greece, who assisted local
Jews escape
the Holocaust. Turkish and
Greek Jews alike were deported to the
death camps from the island of
Corfu, but on the island of Rhodes, where Jews had prospered during three hundred ninety years of
Ottoman rule until 1917 and under
Italian occupation from then until 1943, Turkey’s Consul, Selâhattin Ülkümen, saved the lives of some 42
Jewish Turkish families, totaling more than 200 persons among a Jewish community of some 2000 after the
Germans took over the island following
Benito Mussolini’s removal from power and Italy’s armistice with the
Allies. He was honored with Turkey's Supreme Service Medal as well as a special medal from
Israel and recognized by
Yad Vashem as "Righteous Gentile" (
Hebrew: Hassid Umot ha'Olam) for rescuing Jews during the Holocaust along with
Necdet Kent and
Namık Kemal Yolga.[1]
Yolga, Namık Kemal (1914–2001): was a Turkish diplomat and statesman, known as the Turkish
Schindler. During
World War II, Yolga was the Vice-Consul at the Turkish Embassy in
Paris, France. His efforts to save the lives of Turkish
Jews from the
Nazi concentration camps earned him the title of "Turkish Schindler". He was honored with Turkey's Supreme Service Medal as well as a special medal from
Israel for rescuing Jews during the Holocaust along with
Necdet Kent and
Selâhattin Ülkümen.[1]
Z
Zorlu, Fatin Rüştü (April 20, 1910
Istanbul - September 16, 1961 Istanbul): He was a Turkish diplomat and politician. He was executed by hanging after the
coup d'état in 1960 along with two other politicians. He began his career as a diplomat in 1932. He served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs from 1957 until the
Turkish Armed Forces staged a coup on May 27, 1960 and ousted the government of
Adnan Menderes, the
Prime Minister of the time.
List of
notable diplomats of the
Republic of Turkey, past and present. The names are listed in an alphabetical order according to their last names, with their positions and other relevant information.
Cem İpekçi, İsmail (born 1940
Istanbul – d. January 24, 2007, Istanbul) is a Turkish politician, statesman and former minister of foreign affairs of Turkey. He served as foreign minister from June 30, 1997 until July 10, 2002. He was the fourth longest-serving minister of this position. He was a member of
Republican People's Party.
Diriöz, Hüseyin is an ambassador, previously the chief advisor to the
President of Republic of Turkey on
foreign policy, and currently Assistant Secretary General of NATO.
Kent, Necdet (1911–2002): was a Turkish diplomat who risked his life to save
Jews during
World War II. He was posted as Consul General to
Marseilles between 1941 and 1944, gave Turkish citizenship to dozens of Turkish Jews living in
France who did not have proper identity papers to save them from deportation to the
Nazi gas chambers. He was honored with Turkey's Supreme Service Medal as well as a special medal from
Israel for rescuing Jews during
the Holocaust along with
Selâhattin Ülkümen and
Namık Kemal Yolga.[1]
Kuneralp, Zeki (1914–1998
Istanbul): He served as the Turkish ambassador to a number of countries in
Europe. His wife, Necla Kuneralp, and a retired ambassador,
Beşir Balcıoğlu, were killed in an attack by Armenian militants, along with their driver, Antonio Torres, while he was serving as the Turkish ambassador to
Spain.
Türkmen, Doğan: He served in
Lagos as ambassador of the
Republic of Turkey to
Nigeria from January 28, 1969, to December 16, 1971.[2] While serving as ambassador of Turkey to
Bern,
Switzerland, he was attacked by an Armenian gunman. He escaped with minor injuries.
U
Ülkümen, Selâhattin (1914–2003): He was a
Turkishdiplomat on the island of
Rhodes,
Greece, who assisted local
Jews escape
the Holocaust. Turkish and
Greek Jews alike were deported to the
death camps from the island of
Corfu, but on the island of Rhodes, where Jews had prospered during three hundred ninety years of
Ottoman rule until 1917 and under
Italian occupation from then until 1943, Turkey’s Consul, Selâhattin Ülkümen, saved the lives of some 42
Jewish Turkish families, totaling more than 200 persons among a Jewish community of some 2000 after the
Germans took over the island following
Benito Mussolini’s removal from power and Italy’s armistice with the
Allies. He was honored with Turkey's Supreme Service Medal as well as a special medal from
Israel and recognized by
Yad Vashem as "Righteous Gentile" (
Hebrew: Hassid Umot ha'Olam) for rescuing Jews during the Holocaust along with
Necdet Kent and
Namık Kemal Yolga.[1]
Yolga, Namık Kemal (1914–2001): was a Turkish diplomat and statesman, known as the Turkish
Schindler. During
World War II, Yolga was the Vice-Consul at the Turkish Embassy in
Paris, France. His efforts to save the lives of Turkish
Jews from the
Nazi concentration camps earned him the title of "Turkish Schindler". He was honored with Turkey's Supreme Service Medal as well as a special medal from
Israel for rescuing Jews during the Holocaust along with
Necdet Kent and
Selâhattin Ülkümen.[1]
Z
Zorlu, Fatin Rüştü (April 20, 1910
Istanbul - September 16, 1961 Istanbul): He was a Turkish diplomat and politician. He was executed by hanging after the
coup d'état in 1960 along with two other politicians. He began his career as a diplomat in 1932. He served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs from 1957 until the
Turkish Armed Forces staged a coup on May 27, 1960 and ousted the government of
Adnan Menderes, the
Prime Minister of the time.