Riza Nur

Riza Nur (born August 30, 1879 in Sinop-died September 8, 1942 in Istanbul) was a Turkish politician and writer.

After graduating from the Military Medical School in 1901 Riza Nur went on to work as a surgeon at Gülhane Military Hospital before returning to the Military Medical School as an academic in 1907. [http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSvcid=25533&GRid=21080888& Profile on Find a Grave] ] He entered politics following the adoption of a constitutional monarchy but was imprisoned and later exiled for coming inot conflict with the Committee of Union and Progress administration, remaining a dissenting voice from abroad.

Returning to Turkey in 1919 he was a founder member of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey and was appointed Minister of National Education in 1920 and Minister of Health and Foreign Affairs in 1921, as well as serving as the envoy at the 1921 Treaty of Moscow and the Conference of Lausanne. Whilst at Lausanne he came to blows with the former Prime Minister of Greece Eleftherios Venizelos over the issue of the Pontic Greeks. [cite news
author=
title=VENIZELOS AND RIZA CLASH AT LAUSANNE; Altercation Between Ex-Premier of Greece and Turk Envoy Disrupts a Session. ALARM IN THE NEAR EAST Conference Is Told of Massacres of Moslems and of Destitution of Christian Refugees. Alarming Reports From East. Conference on the Straits.
date=
work=New York Times
url=http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9F0CEFD91F30E433A25751C2A9649D946395D6CF
accessdate=2008-08-10] Indeed what the Allies saw as Riza's intransigence over both this issue and that of the Armenians led to a Yugoslavian delegate claiming that Riza was "beginning to show the cloven hoof". [cite news
author=
title=TURKS' ARROGANCE DAMPS PEACE HOPES; They Take Back Straits Concessions and Break Off Economic Parleys.ALLIES SHOW THEIR ANGER Call Riza Nur Bey's Attitude Insolent and Say He is "Showing the Cloven Hoof."
date=
work=New York Times
url=http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9800E3D81F30E433A25750C2A9649D946395D6CF
accessdate=2008-08-10]

Following the formation of the Turkish republic Riza Nur fell out of favour somewhat and he left the country in 1926 after an attempt on the life of Kemal Ataturk at Izmir. Returning from exile in Paris and Alexandria after Ataturk's death he published the "Tanridagi" journal, which supported Turanism.

He died at the age of 63 and was buried in the Merkez Efendi Cemetery,Istanbul.

Works

*"Servet-i Sahane ve Hakk-i Millet" (Great Wealth and the Right of the People) (1909)
*"Meclis-i Mebusan'dan Firkalar" (Parties of the Ottoman Parliament) (1910)
*"Tibbiye Hayatindan" (Of Medical Life) (1911)
*"Cemiyet-i Hafiye" (The Secret Organization) (1914)
*"Gurbet Dagarcigi" (The Vocabulary of the Exile) (1919)
*"Hürriyet ve Itilaf Nasil Dogdu, Nasil Öldü" (Liberty and Agreement, How was It Born and How Did It Die?) (1919)
*"Türk Tarihi" (Turkish History, 14 vols) (1924-26)
*"Arab Siir Birligi" (The Arab Poetry Union) (1926)
*"Hilalin Tarihi" (History of the Crescent) (1933)
*"Ali Sir Nevai" (1935)
*"Namik Kemal" (1936)
*"Hücumlara Cevaplar" (Replies to the Attacks Made) (1941)
*"Hayat ve Hatiralarim" (My Life and Memoirs) (1968)

References