Behiç Erkin
Behiç Erkin (1876 – November 11, 1961) was a Turkish career officer, Armenian genocide perpetrator, first director (1920–1926) of the Turkish State Railways, nationalized under his auspices, statesman and diplomat of the Turkish Republic. He was Minister of Public Works, 1926–1928, and deputy for three terms; and an ambassador. He served as Turkey's ambassador to Budapest between 1928–1939, and to Paris and Vichy between August 1939-August 1943.
Behiç Erkin | |
|---|---|
| Ambassador of Turkey to France | |
| In office 1939–1943 | |
| President | İsmet İnönü |
| Ambassador of Turkey to Hungary | |
| In office 1928–1939 | |
| President | Mustafa Kemal Atatürk İsmet İnönü |
| Minister of Public Works | |
| In office January 14, 1926 – October 15, 1928 | |
| Prime Minister | İsmet İnönü |
| Preceded by | Süleyman Sırrı Gedikoğlu |
| Succeeded by | Recep Peker |
| Director General of the TCDD | |
| In office December 1, 1921 – January 11, 1926 | |
| Succeeded by | Vasfi Tuna |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Hakkı Behiç 1876 Constantinople, Ottoman Empire |
| Died | November 11, 1961 (aged 84–85) Istanbul, Turkey |
| Resting place | Eskişehir |
| Nationality | Turkish |
| Alma mater | Ottoman Military Academy, Ottoman Military College |
| Occupation | Army officer, director general, government minister, ambassador, politician |
| Awards | Iron Cross 1st Class (Germany) Medal of Independence (Turkey) |
| Military service | |
| Rank | Colonel |
| Battles/wars | World War I Turkish War of Independence |
Although it has been claimed that Erkin rescued 20,000 Jews during the Holocaust, these claims are unsubstantiated. The film Turkish Passport was criticized for "attempts to whitewash a perpetrator of the Armenian genocide by painting him as a rescuer in the Holocaust".
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.