FIRST NIGHT AT İPLİKÇİZADE MANSION...

The house where Atatürk stayed in Karşıyaka was the mansion of İplikçizade İsmail Bey, whose Çağlayan Apartment Building numbered 380 is located on the beach today. There was a windmill and tennis court in the garden of the house, which was built on a field of 2,800 square meters. This three-storey and 15-room house was purchased in 1916 from its first owner, Italian Alloyeti, for 50 thousand liras. During the Greek occupation, İsmail Bey fled to Rhodes, and the rest of the family stayed in Karşıyaka with his wife Fatma Hanım and his eldest son Süreyya Bey.

İplikçizade Mansion had an extremely important historical position. Because the Greek King Constantine, who came to Izmir on May 30, 1921, stayed in this house. Just before the king's arrival in İzmir, the Governor of İzmir, İstiryadis, summoned Süreyya Bey and officially informed this young person from Karşıyaka, who spoke very good Greek, that they would confiscate their house in exchange for his annual rent, in order to host the king.

Although Süreyya Bey resisted that our house was unsuitable, unpainted, devastated, Governor Istyriadis declared that the Greek Occupation Command would do the repair and confiscated the İplikçizade Mansion. Thus, King Constantine, who approached with a gunboat, came to İplikçizade Mansion with the great performances of the Greeks of İzmir and entered the house by pressing the Turkish flag laid under his feet. This incident has been a source of great sadness and hatred for the people of Karşıyaka;

As a matter of fact, Süreyya İplikçizade, who saw with her eyes that the Turkish flag had been taken down after King Constantine's return to Greece, openly started to support the Nationalist Kemalist Movement with all his might, was arrested together with Emirlerzade Refik Bey, Evliyazade Refik Bey and Postacıoğlu Ethem Bey and some others. was exiled to Athens. If the Turks were to commit a massacre in Izmir, the exiles would be executed in Athens.

Atatürk spent the first happy night of liberation in such a historic Karşıyaka house, sipping by sip.

SADİ İPLİKÇİ TELLS...

Now, let's find one of the first Presidents of KSK, Sadi İplikçi, the younger brother of Süreyya İplikçi and the lover of all Karşıyaka people, walking around the mansion in a dark blue beret, and ask Atatürk to tell about his first night:

Fevzi Pasha, İsmet Pasha and some of the top commanders would stay in our house, and the other guests would be taken to the Fikri Bey Mansion right next to us. This mansion was located where the current Skyscraper, where Hasan İkbal built a house later on.

Atatürk came in front of our house in a great cheer and refused to step on the Greek flag that was spread under his feet and went inside. My mother, kneeling before Ghazi, pleaded with weeping to save my brother, who was held captive in Athens. Atatürk promised "They will return in 10 days" and summoned the Italian Consul General. He ordered Consul Bey, "These distinguished people in Athens have Italian patronage passports. Have them brought back immediately." Thereupon, Italy applied to Greece, and my brother came to Izmir from Athens in ten days, safe and sound.

In the evening Atatürk stayed at our house, a great visit was given. Everyone was in joy with the excitement of Itirdat (Liberation). That evening, Atatürk stayed in my brother Süreyya İplikçi's room overlooking the sea and slept soundly.

Karşıyaka embraced our Gazi..."

Atatürk will never forget the night of September 10, when he was hosted in Karşıyaka, and he will visit Karşıyaka regularly on his next trips to İzmir.

Source: Karşıyaka ve Kaf Sin Kaf Tarihi, Yaşar Aksoy, Hisdaş Yayıncılık,1988, İzmir, sayfa: 42-43

We thank Mr. M. Sancar Maruflu and Yaşar Aksoy for their contributions.