Sadi Eldem (1910–1995) was a Turkish diplomat and served as the ambassador of Turkey to Spain between 1969 and 1972 and then to Iran from 1972 to 1975.

Early life and education

Sadi was born in

Marseille Marseille ( , , ; also spelled in English as Marseilles; oc, Marselha ) is the prefecture of the French department of Bouches-du-Rhône and capital of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region. Situated in the camargue region of southern Franc ...

, France, on 10 April 1910. He was the youngest child of İsmail Hakkı and Azize Hanım. İsmail Hakkı was serving as the consul general of the

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...

in Marseille when he was born. His mother, Azize Hanım, was the granddaughter of the Ottoman statesman and

Grand vizier Grand vizier ( fa, وزيرِ اعظم, vazîr-i aʾzam; ota, صدر اعظم, sadr-ı aʾzam; tr, sadrazam) was the title of the effective head of government of many sovereign states in the Islamic world. The office of Grand Vizier was first ...

Ibrahim Edhem Pasha. Sadi graduated from

Galatasaray High School Galatasaray High School ( tr, Galatasaray Lisesi, french: Lycée de Galatasaray), established in what was then Constantinople and is now Istanbul, in 1481, is the oldest high school in Turkey. It is also the second-oldest Turkish educational in ...

and received a degree in law from

Istanbul University , image = Istanbul_University_logo.svg , image_size = 200px , latin_name = Universitas Istanbulensis , motto = tr, Tarihten Geleceğe Bilim Köprüsü , mottoeng = Science Bridge from Past to the Future , established = 1453 1846 1933 ...

. He held a PhD degree in law from the

University of Paris , image_name = Coat of arms of the University of Paris.svg , image_size = 150px , caption = Coat of Arms , latin_name = Universitas magistrorum et scholarium Parisiensis , motto = ''Hic et ubique terrarum'' (Latin) , mottoeng = Here and a ...

in 1940. His thesis was published with the title ''Le statut des magistrats (Recrutement)''.

Career

Eldem joined the

Ministry of Foreign Affairs In many countries, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is the government department responsible for the state's diplomacy, bilateral, and multilateral relations affairs as well as for providing support for a country's citizens who are abroad. The entit ...

in 1940 where he worked at different positions. He was named as the ambassador of Turkey to Syria in 1965 and served in the post for one year. He was appointed

undersecretary Undersecretary (or under secretary) is a title for a person who works for and has a lower rank than a secretary (person in charge). It is used in the executive branch of government, with different meanings in different political systems, and is al ...

of the ministry on 7 September 1967 which he held until 1969 when he was made the ambassador of Turkey to Spain. Eldem's term ended in 1972, and

Zeki Kuneralp 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 Tur ...

was appointed to the post on 27 October 1972. Eldem replaced Namık Yolga as the ambassador of Turkey to Iran on 27 November 1972. Eldem was in office until his retirement on 10 April 1975, and Rahmi Gümrükçüoğlu succeeded him in the post.

Personal life and death

Eldem married an Ottoman princess and daughter of Naciye Sultan, Rana Hanımsultan, on 25 July 1949. They had three children, two daughters and a son. Of them, Necla died at age 10 in an accident on 24 August 1964. Their eldest daughter, Ceyda, was born on 1 March 1954 and died in Istanbul at age 60 in August 2014. Their son, Edhem Eldem (born 2 March 1960), is a historian and academic working at

Boğaziçi University Boğaziçi University ( tr, Boğaziçi Üniversitesi), also known as Bosphorus University, is a major research university in Istanbul, Turkey. Its main campus is located on the European side of the Bosphorus, Bosphorus strait. It has six facult ...

. Eldem died in Istanbul on 15 January 1995. He was buried next to his daughter, Necla, and in-laws in Yahya Efendi Mausoleum in

Beşiktaş Beşiktaş () is a district and municipality of Istanbul, Turkey, located on the European shore of the Bosphorus strait. It is bordered on the north by Sarıyer and Şişli, on the west by Kağıthane and Şişli, on the south by Beyoğlu, and ...

, Istanbul.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Eldem, Sadi 20th-century Turkish diplomats 1910 births 1995 deaths Cold War diplomats Galatasaray High School alumni University of Paris alumni Ambassadors of Turkey to Iran Ambassadors of Turkey to Syria Ambassadors of Turkey to Spain Istanbul University alumni Diplomats from Marseille