History
Presenter(s): Rosita Saul
Advisor(s): Dr. Marilyn Harran
Through courageous initiatives on behalf of endangered Jews, individual Turkish diplomats exceeded government policies while simultaneously following the intent of those policies. Both the government of the Republic of Turkey and individual Turkish diplomats viewed Turkish Jews as respected members of the national community. Jews had been accepted members of Turkish society since their mass immigration during the sixteenth century Spanish Inquisition. At the same time as Hitler sought to rid Germany of Jews, Ataturk, the leader of Turkey, sought to recruit Jewish professionals to aid in westernizing his country. When Jews experienced increasing persecution in France and on the island of Rhodes, Turkish diplomats intervened on their behalf. Article 88 of the Turkish Constitution granted Turkish citizens living outside of the country continuing citizenship as long as they regularly renewed their citizenship at consulates. However, many Turkish Jews living in France or on the island of Rhodes had failed to register and therefore had allowed their Turkish citizenship to lapse. They were therefore ineligible for protection by the Turkish government. In order to save as many Turkish Jewish citizens as possible while awaiting approval from the government, Turkish consular officials categorized these citizens as “irregular.” This enabled them to provide protection through “Certificates of Citizenship” until full citizenship could be restored. When Nazi authorities refused to recognize these Jews as Turkish citizens, the diplomats responded that Turkey did not discriminate among its citizens by either race or religion. Necdet Kent, Turkish Consul in Marseilles, and Selahattin Ülkümen, Turkish Consul in Rhodes, used their official status to follow the cases of Turkish Jews. Behind the scenes and unofficially, they risked their lives to protect not only Jews who were Turkish citizens but also those who had failed to renew their citizenship.