Zeki Kuneralp
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Zeki Kuneralp | |
---|---|
Turkish Ambassador to the United Kingdom | |
In office 1964–1966 | |
In office 1969–1972 | |
Turkish Ambassador to Spain | |
In office 1972–1979 | |
Personal details | |
Born | 5 October 1914 Istanbul, Ottoman Empire |
Died | 26 July 1998 Istanbul, Turkey | (aged 83)
Nationality | Turkish |
Spouse | Necla Özdilci |
Children | 2 sons |
Parents |
|
Relatives | Wilfred Johnson (half-brother) |
Profession | Diplomat |
Zeki Kuneralp (5 October 1914 – 26 July 1998) was a Turkish diplomat, who was brought up in exile in Switzerland after the murder of his father, Ali Kemal Bey, during the Turkish War of Independence. After his education he returned to Turkey and, with the express approval of President İsmet İnönü, entered the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. At first taking up diplomatic posts throughout Europe, Kuneralp was later appointed Turkish Ambassador to Switzerland, the United Kingdom and Spain, as well as twice serving as Secretary-General of the Foreign Ministry. He survived an assassination attempt which claimed the lives of his wife and her brother in Madrid in 1978. He retired, in part due to ill-health, in 1979, renouncing the world and current affairs,[1] and turning his attention instead to writing and publishing. His autobiography was translated into English in 1992, while others of his books are considered important sources of twentieth century Turkish history. He died in Istanbul in 1998.
Biography
Born in
He began life as an Ottoman Turk with only given names. In 1924, the new state of Turkey adopted the Surname Law, requiring all its citizens to adopt a heritable family name, and he thus gained the name of Kuneralp. He was educated in Switzerland and in 1938 gained a Law doctorate from the University of Bern,[1] where he belonged to the "Zähringia Bernensis" fraternity.
When permission for him to enter the Turkish Foreign Ministry was granted personally by President İsmet İnönü in 1942, Kuneralp began his career there, going on to become one of the most brilliant diplomats of his generation. Early in his career, he was posted to Bucharest, Prague, Paris, and Turkey's NATO Delegation. A strong believer in Turkish-Greek friendship, Kuneralp worked hard but unsuccessfully to repair the damage done to Turkish-Greek relations by the rift over Cyprus between 1954 and 1964.
He was ambassador to Bern from 1960 until 1964 when he was made ambassador to London from 1964 to 1966 and again from 1969 to 1972, while in the interval he served twice as Secretary-General (or permanent under-secretary) of the Foreign Ministry in Ankara. During the latter stage of his diplomatic life in London, Kuneralp began have progressive multiple sclerosis, which left him unable to walk without support.[1]
In 1978, while Kuneralp was serving as ambassador in
Despite this tragedy, Kuneralp's intellectual distinction and energy remained as strong as ever. During his retirement he wrote several books, including an edited version of his father's autobiography and an autobiography of his own, as well as works on recent aspects of Turkish diplomatic history. His autobiography, Sadece Diplomat, was translated into English and appeared under the title "Just a Diplomat". He died in Istanbul of progressive multiple sclerosis.
An article, "Ambassador Extraordinary", describing his life and personality, was published after his death in Number 16 of the magazine
Kuneralp had two sons who both survive him, Sinan, a leading Istanbul publisher, and Selim, who went into the diplomatic service and has been Turkey's ambassador to Sweden and South Korea.
He is also among founders of a Francophone High School in Ankara called "Lycée Tevfik Fikret"
Bibliography
- Just a Diplomat (in Turkish) (1981) and (in English) (1992)
- Ali Kemal (1869–1922): a portrait for the benefit of his English speaking progeny (1993).
- A footnote to Turco-Greek history: the Keşan-Alexandroupolis talks (1998)
- Les debuts de la sovietisation de la Roumanie, aout 1944–aout 1945 (1992)
See also
- List of Turkish diplomats
- List of assassinated people from Turkey
- List of ASALA attacks
References
- ^ a b c d e "Obituary: Zeki Kuneralp". The Independent. 1998-08-11. Retrieved 2022-11-09.
- ^ a b Genç, Kaya (September 3, 2013). "Ali Kemal: Martyred Journalist and Iconic Traitor". Los Angeles Review of Books. Archived from the original on October 14, 2013. Retrieved September 8, 2013.
- ^ Tikit, Ozcan (30 May 2008). "Stanley Johnson: 'Thatcher set a marvellous example for women politicians in Britain'". Cafébabel. Retrieved 2022-11-09.