Namık Kemal Yolga
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Namık Kemal Yolga (1914–2001) was a Turkish diplomat and statesman, known as the Turkish Schindler. During World War II, Yolga was the Vice-Consul at the Turkish Embassy in Paris, France. His efforts to save the lives of Turkish Jews from the Nazi concentration camps earned him the title of "Turkish Schindler".
Namık Kemal Yolga was posted to Turkish Embassy in Paris in 1940 as the Vice-Consul, his first diplomatic post in a foreign country. Two months later Nazis invaded France and started their hunt for the Jews and sent them to the Drancy deportation camp near Paris, from where they were sent east to concentration camps. Young Yolga was brave enough to save the Turkish Jews one by one from the Nazi authorities, drive them in his car and hide them in safe places. Yolga's determination resulted to save all the Turkish Jews except one who was later transferred to a concentration camp in Germany. In his autobiography, Yolga described his efforts as:
| “ | Every time we learnt that a Turkish Jew was captured and sent to Drancy , the Turkish Embassy sent an ultimatum to the German Embassy in Paris and demanded his/her release, specifically pointing out that the Turkish Constitution does not discriminate its people for their race or religion, therefore Turkish Jews are Turkish nationals and Germans have no right to arrest them as Turkey was a neutral country during the war. Then I used to go to Drancy to pick him/her up with my car and put them in a safe house. As far as I know, only one Turkish Jew from Bordeaux was sent to a camp in Germany as the Turkish Embassy was not aware of his arrest at the time. | ” |
Namık Kemal Yolga served as an Ambassador in Rome, Paris, Caracas, Tehran and Moscow and as General Secretary in the Turkish Foreign Ministry.
[edit] Honors
Yolga was honoured by the "500. Yil Vakfi" (Quincentennial Foundation) in 1998. Also he and the other heroes Selâhattin Ülkümen and Necdet Kent were honored with Turkey's Supreme Service Medal as well as a special medal from Israel for rescuing Jews during the Holocaust.
