Selahattin Ülkümen

Selahattin Ülkümen intervened during the Holocaust to secure the release of roughly 50 Jewish residents on the island of Rhodes from Nazi deportation orders. Serving as a Turkish diplomat in occupied Greece, he utilized his consular authority to protect individuals by challenging German definitions of citizenship and invoking the principle of legal equality under Turkish law.

Consular Duty Amidst Occupation

Born in Antakya in 1914, Ülkümen served as the Turkish consul-general on Rhodes during the German occupation of the Dodecanese. His tenure was marked by friction with the German military authorities, beginning with his advocacy for 39 Turkish and Greek boatmen. These individuals faced execution by firing squad for transporting Italian soldiers to the Turkish mainland, yet Ülkümen successfully negotiated their release from the German military governor.

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Bombing of the Consulate

Tensions escalated on 18 February 1944 when an aerial attack struck the Turkish consulate, killing two employees, Hasan and Hüseyin. Ülkümen sustained injuries during the event, and his wife, Mihrinisa Ülkümen, was gravely wounded. While some assessments attribute the incident to Allied air raids, Ülkümen maintained that German aircraft carried out the targeted strike.

Protection of Jewish Residents

On 19 July 1944, the Gestapo assembled the island’s Jewish population for deportation to Auschwitz. Ülkümen approached General Ulrich Kleemann to demand the release of those holding Turkish citizenship. Expanding his scope, he asserted that Turkish law recognized the spouses and families of citizens as Turkish nationals as well. Though the German command initially resisted, the persistence of the diplomat resulted in the rescue of approximately 42 to 43 individuals.

Departure to Turkey

Following their release, the rescued group faced ongoing harassment and daily reporting requirements at the Gestapo office. In early 1945, ahead of a scheduled Red Cross inspection, the protected individuals were transported from Rhodes to Marmaris. After a period in Turkey and subsequent quarantine near Larnaca in Cyprus, the survivors reached safety. Ülkümen died in 2003 in Istanbul and is buried at Zincirlikuyu Cemetery.