SPIRITUAL SONS OF ATATÜRK

According to the sayings of his relatives, Atatürk did not like young children at all, and he could not stand their squawking and mischief at all.

Alone; Apart from these little Ülkü, whom he loved and attached to with an astonishing closeness, as soon as he saw them in the swaddling cloth towards the end of his life…

But again, it is surprising that Atatürk, who does not like small children in general, did not refrain from adopting the orphaned children he met throughout his life.

According to the information we received from his former brother-in-law, Mustafa Mecdi, Atatürk adopted nine children, boys and girls, since his youth.

The first of these is the eight-year-old boy named Abdürrahim, who saw that he was lonely and needy while he was in Van during the First World War, and brought with him to Istanbul. He studied and got a job.

The second, again in the general war, was an orphan girl named Afife, aged six or seven, who took refuge in him during the Bitlis retreat. e sent.

After this; After their marriage to Latife Hanım, when they came to Istanbul, Zehra, whom they took from the Orphans' Dormitory in Kağıthane, kept her for a while in Çankaya Mansion, then gave her to Arnavutköy American College for Girls and sent her to Germany for education. This angry girl, while returning to Istanbul to spend the summer vacation, lost her mind and committed suicide by throwing herself off the train.

Atatürk, who received this news, felt great pain and had Zehra's body brought to him by the officers he sent privately, and buried him in Ankara.

Meanwhile, Atatürk, who went on a tour around Konya, had the girl named Rukiye, whose sad state was told to him, brought to Ankara and hosted him in Çankaya Mansion, and after spending a long time in his education and training meticulously, he married a valuable gendarmerie captain whom he saw fit, and their wedding was splendid. He had it built in Ankara Palas somehow.

But the most magnificent wedding, which can be said to be magnificent, is the wedding of Atatürk's adopted son Nebile, who, after being educated at Arnavutköy American College, married one of the well-known externalists, again in the halls of Ankara Palas.

Nebile was from Beylerbey. Upon being informed by Cevat Abbas Bey that she was an orphan, intelligent girl, Atatürk's protection was requested and she was adopted in this way. Nebile, a tall, blond and elegant girl, was also enthusiastic about politics in the time of the Free Party, and there were even disagreements and conflicts with Atatürk's nurse, Makbule Hanım, who joined the same party at that time, that required Atatürk's intervention. But after a while, she went to Vienna with her husband, the disease that hit her eyes, despite all the care and treatment, became increasingly incurable, and during this time she separated from her husband.

After Atatürk's death, Nebile, who was under the patronage of İsmet İnönü, passed away soon after.

As for Ms. Sabiha Gökçen: Atatürk had met her during a trip to Bursa. The little Sabiha, who was presented to her during her visits to the Hünkar Mansion in Bursa, where her sister, who was the wife of an officer who was martyred in Çanakkale, lived with her new husband, caught the attention of Atatürk with her demeanor and especially her intelligence, and thus, the great Leader's. She was given the compliment and patronage of her, and finally, with the encouragement of Atatürk, she participated in aviation and gained the honor of being the first Turkish female pilot.

Among his adopted children, Atatürk was especially proud of Sabiha Gökçen.

Little Shepherd Mustafa, whom he came across during a trip to Yalova, is one of the children whom Atatürk personally adopted, again admiring his intelligence. He had it read and given to Kuleli, but he died before he could become an officer.

Shepherd Mustafa was wearing Kuleli uniform while saluting Atatürk's blessed corpse in Dolmabahçe with tearful eyes.

When Atatürk sent Mrs. Afet to Europe for education, he also wanted the young girl named Sabriye, whom he took into his custody knowingly as a child, to continue in Law. In this way, this lady successfully completed her education and became a judge.

According to Mustafa Mecdi, Atatürk's former brother-in-law, who gave us this information, Atatürk's longing for protection mostly stems from the fact that he was childless throughout his life and had no relatives other than his sister after his mother's death. He loved with a fatherly affection, taking care of all those he was protecting, enduring every sacrifice, especially for their good upbringing.

So much so that; He always kept them together at his table, fulfilling his every desire.

Although he was known to know his account well, he did not spare anything from his sons and wanted those around him to love and respect them.

In the Çankaya Mansion, when they were all together, he would divide the work so that jealousy would not enter between them.

He made his Secretary General Hasan Soyak see his expenses. He also gave his allowances through him.

When they went to the cinema, shopping or any other visit he could think of, he would bring Arap Nesip Efendi with them.

This Nesip Efendi, whom the girls call his father, was known for his honesty, good morals, virtue and honor in the Babıali for many years. This old man, who gained the utmost confidence and security of Atatürk, also had a black assistant son.

Apart from these, there was also Bekir Sergeant, whom Atatürk used in his private services as a steward, whom Atatürk appreciated for his usefulness in suppressing the Yozgat rebellion and took him with him. ^one

Atatürk's Daughter Will Be A Daughter of the Sky,

Sabiha Gokcen

Out of my mind, one day I found myself as a lover of blue skies. I look forward to the coming of the morning, often I could not sleep at night with this excitement. My teachers encouraged me by saying that they were extremely pleased with my work and my love for aviation.

When the work in Ankara ended successfully, Gazi Pasha summoned me to his presence and said:

-“Gökçen, I closely followed his work on volatility. Your success makes me as happy as my own success. It also proved how right I am to trust Turkish girls. I just don't want to leave you with this."

"As you command, sir," I said.

-“Don't you want to be a teacher in this field by doing higher education in gliding? In this way, you will both train yourself and train our young people as aviators at my request.”

"There can be no more sacred duty to me than this, sir."

-“Good… Actually, you knew I wouldn't get any other answer from you. Whatever I have said so far, you have done it to the letter and without any objection. You have succeeded in doing this. You will go abroad for education. You will study in Russia on behalf of the Turkish Aeronautical Association and return home as a teacher.” ²

Little Ülkü

A memory from Sabiha Gökçen:

By the way, I remember a day in the fog… Vasfiye Hanım, who came to the old mansion in Çankaya with a forty-day-old baby in her arms… Who is Vasfiye Hanım? Let me explain: Mustafa Kemal Pasha's mother, Zübeyde Hanım, was a very benevolent person. He would rush to help everyone as much as he could, try to save troubled people from trouble, and if he could not manage it, he would call his son, his only Mustafa, for help. One day, they brought him a pretty girl. Sweet, sweet, mature despite her age. She liked this girl very much, Zübeyde Hanım, her name was Vasfiye. She took it with her, she raised it. She never left her side until her death. The day came and her fortune came out, and Vasfiye Hanım got married right away. But for some reason, the girl could not be happy. Although she had been married a few times, she always came back to Ms. Zübeyde. And she stayed with him until his death. However, after this pain, Vasfiye Hanım was left in the middle. Then, realizing that she could not live in this space, she went out and came to Pasha. She told him about her situation. Gazi, who was very fond of his mother, took Vasfiye Hanım to his bosom as her heirloom and took him with him. Thus, we are the woman who is saved from troubles.

It was his destiny that he had a chance again. An honest person named Ankara Orman Çiftliği Station Chief Tahsin Bey. (Later, she became Tahsin Çukurluoğlu when the surname law was enacted) Having received the approval of Pasha, Vasfiye Hanım became pregnant after marrying Tahsin Bey. When the day came, she gave birth to a baby girl like Nurball. They wanted to show the puppy to Pasha when it was forty days old. Pasha liked it very much and named it himself: Ülkü.

Ülkü was born in 1932 in Ankara. After staying in his own home for a year as a mother-child, Gazi Mustafa Kemal Pasha had him taken with him and kept him from the mansion until his death. Yes, this is a story caught in the mists. This is how Ülkü's birth, his arrival at the mansion, and the change of his destiny began. ³    

1 Niyazi Ahmet Banoğlu, Atatürk with wit and jokes, Istanbul 1978, p. 490-493.

2 Oktay Verel, Sabiha Gökçen - A Life with Atatürk, Altın Kitaplar Publishing House, Istanbul 1994, p. 96–97.

3 Oktay Verel, Sabiha Gökçen - A Life with Atatürk, Altın Kitaplar Publishing House, Istanbul 1994, p. 67–68.

1 Niyazi Ahmet Banoğlu, Nükte ve Fıkralarla Atatürk, İstanbul 1978, s. 490-493.

2 Oktay Verel, Sabiha Gökçen - Atatürk’le Bir Ömür, Altın Kitaplar Yayınevi, İstanbul 1994, s. 96–97.

3 Oktay Verel, Sabiha Gökçen - Atatürk’le Bir Ömür, Altın Kitaplar Yayınevi, İstanbul 1994, s. 67–68.

Source: Atatürk’ten Gençliğe Unutulmaz Anılar, Ahmet Gürel, Mayıs 2009