Cevat Rıfat Atilhan (1892, Constantinople – 4 February 1967, Istanbul) was a

Turkish Turkish may refer to: *a Turkic language spoken by the Turks * of or about Turkey ** Turkish language *** Turkish alphabet ** Turkish people, a Turkic ethnic group and nation *** Turkish citizen, a citizen of Turkey *** Turkish communities and mi ...

career officer and

antisemitic Antisemitism (also spelled anti-semitism or anti-Semitism) is hostility to, prejudice towards, or discrimination against Jews. A person who holds such positions is called an antisemite. Antisemitism is considered to be a form of racism. Antis ...

writer, who was one of the initiators of the

1934 Thrace pogroms The 1934 Thrace pogroms ( tr, Trakya Olayları, "Thrace incidents" or "Thrace events", Judaeo-Spanish, Ladino: ''Furtuna/La Furtuna'', "Storm") refers to a series of violent attacks against History of the Jews in Turkey, Jewish citizens of Turkey ...

Biography

He was born in 1892 in Vefa, Constantinople. His father Rifat Pasha was the

Governor of Damascus This is a list of rulers of Damascus from ancient times to the present. :''General context: History of Damascus''. Aram Damascus * Rezon I (c. 950 BC) *Tabrimmon *Ben-Hadad I (c. 885 BCE–c. 865 BC) *Hadadezer (c. 865 BC–c. 842 BC) *Hazael (c. ...

. The first years of his childhood passed in

Damascus )), is an adjective which means "spacious". , motto = , image_flag = Flag of Damascus.svg , image_seal = Emblem of Damascus.svg , seal_type = Seal , map_caption = , ...

. Then he came to Constantinople and went to Fatih İptidaisi (primary school). After graduating from primary school, he started to Kuleli Military High School, preferring to military service. In his first days in the lieutenant years he took part in the Albanian campaign. He was taken prisoner by the Bulgarians in the siege of Edirne. Bondage lasted two years. At the beginning of World War I, he was ordered by Cemal Pasha from Mersin. He came forward with his heroism in the Sinai and Palestinian fronts. Upon the conclusion of the First World War, Cemal Pasha from

Mersin Mersin (), also known as İçel, is a large city and a port on the Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean coast of southern Turkey. It is the provincial capital of Mersin Province, Mersin (İçel) Province. It is made up of four municipalities and dis ...

came to Konya. The establishment of the National Front had great benefits. He met with Sultan

Mehmed VI Mehmed VI Vahideddin ( ota, محمد سادس ''Meḥmed-i sâdis'' or ''Vaḥîdü'd-Dîn''; tr, VI. Mehmed or /; 14 January 1861 – 16 May 1926), also known as Şahbaba () among the Osmanoğlu family, was the 36th and last Sultan of the O ...

as the first national representative. When Sultan Mehmed VI left his post, Damat Ferid Pasha had Atilhan arrested because of a conspiracy. He was imprisoned in the Bekir Ağa Bölgesi. During the Turkish War of Independence, he was appointed as the commander of the Zonguldak-Bartin and Havalisi Fronts. It prevented the spread of the French Army in this region. Upon the victory of the War of Independence, he left the army and went into writing. Of his anti-semitic book "Suzy Liberman, Jewish Spy", in 1935 the Turkish Army gave the order to buy 40`000 copies and distributed them amongst the officers. The book is banned on September 17, 1936 In 1942, he was arrested by the government of the time on the grounds that the coup was being prepared. He was incarcerated for 11 months before being released by the results of an investigation led by

Fevzi Çakmak Mustafa Fevzi Çakmak (12 January 1876 – 10 April 1950) was a Turkish field marshal ('' Mareşal'') and politician. He served as the Chief of General Staff from 1918 and 1919 and later the Minister of War of the Ottoman Empire in 1920. He lat ...

. During the one-party period of Turkey, Atilhan who was close to the ideas of Turkism, contributed writings to two of the most influential magazines of Islamic politics in early Turkey; ''

Sebilürreşad ''Sebîlürreşâd'' (Turkish: Straight Path) was a Turkish print magazine created by Mehmet Akif Ersoy and Eşref Edip Fergan along with Ebül'ula Mardin as its lead writer in August 1908, to spread the idea of Islamism under the name of ''Sıra ...

'' and '' Büyük Doğu''. His writings and his political activities affected growing Islamic movements in Turkey. He was one of the founders of Millî Kalkınma Partisi in 1945 and İslam Democratic Party in 1951. He was arrested in 1952 along with Necip Fazıl Kısakürek in Malatya as responsible for the assassination attempt of

Ahmet Emin Yalman Ahmet Emin Yalman (1888–19 December 1972) was a Turkish people, Turkish journalist, author and professor. He was a liberal and opposed the spread of the Nazism, Nazi ideology in his home country. Early life and education Ahmet Emin Yalman was ...

. He was detained for 11 months and 15 days. He wrote 74 works and thousands of articles. He was influenced by antisemitic politicians like

Şerif Yaçağaz Şerif Yaçağaz (1876 – 5 October 1938) was a Turkish career officer, civil servant and antisemitic politician, who served as an officer in the Ottoman Army and the Turkish Army. His antisemitic and anti-communist lectures drew the attention o ...

and

Ali Galip Yenen Ali Galip Yenen (1877 – 7 May 1948) was a Turkish career officer, government minister and antisemitic politician. Biography Ali Galip Yenen was one of the leading commanders during the Turkish War of Independence. After graduating from ...

. Because of his antisemitic writings, he was described as the ' Hitler of the Middle East'. In August 1964 he was invited to congress of Islamic States in Somalia. He was elected as the Chairman of the executive committee of the Congress. This post was his last major mission. He died of a heart attack on 4 February 1967.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Atilhan, Cevat Rifat 1892 births 1967 deaths Writers from Istanbul Ottoman people of World War I Turkish people of the Turkish War of Independence Antisemitism in Turkey