Former Turkish Diplomat Kent Dies

AP ^ | 9/20/2002 | N/A

[a_Turk]

ISTANBUL, Turkey (AP) - Necdet Kent, a Turkish diplomat who risked his life to save Jews during World War II, died Friday. He was 91.

The Foreign Ministry said Kent died in Istanbul.

Kent, who was posted to Marseilles, France between 1941 and 1944, gave Turkish citizenship to dozens of Turkish Jews living in France who did not have proper identity papers to save them from deportation to the Nazi gas chambers.

On one occasion, Kent boarded a train bound for Auschwitz after Nazi guards refused to let some 70 Jews with Turkish citizenship disembark. After more than an hour, the guards allowed Kent and the Jews to leave.

"I cannot forget the embraces, the expressions of gratitude in the eyes of the people we rescued," The Jerusalem Post quoted Kent as saying Sept. 21, 2000.

In 2001, Kent and two other diplomats, Namik Kemal Yolga and Selahattin Ulkumen, were honored with Turkey's Supreme Service Medal as well as a special medal from Israel for rescuing Jews during the Holocaust.

"I admire and respect and thank you no end for what you did to save our Jewish brothers at the darkest moment in history," Uri Bar-Ner, then Israel's ambassador to Turkey, said at the ceremony.

Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz, speaking in Washington on Turkish-U.S. relations in March, praised the diplomat, saying his story "has a place in humanitarian acts of courage beside the feats of a man like Raoul Wallenberg."

Wolfowitz referred to the Swedish diplomat credited with saving some 20,000 Jews before being arrested in 1945 by Soviet troops.

After World War II, Kent served at Turkey's consulate in New York and was ambassador to Thailand, New Delhi, Sweden and Poland.

There was no immediate information on survivors. His funeral was scheduled for Sept. 23.

[a_Turk]

ping.

[Bahbah]

Rest in peace, righteous man.

[curmudgeonII]

We need more men like him.

[Gemflint]

May God Bless and Reward him for all his bravery and compassion.

Thank you for posting this article...

[Aric2000]

Indeed, what a great man.

Rest in Peace....

May his deeds not go unnoticed, and may more people step forward with the bravery that he showed.

[TopQuark]

G-d bless his heart and soul. People like this gentleman are a shining light for all humanity. I wish I could go to cami to give my respects.

Sholom, friend.

[2Trievers]

May his spirit live on. &;-)

[Robert_Paulson2]

a hero.

was he muslim?

[Mortimer Snavely]

"On one occasion, Kent boarded a train bound for Auschwitz after Nazi guards refused to let some 70 Jews with Turkish citizenship disembark."

Now there was a man's man.

[Larry Lucido]

God bless this man.

[patriciaruth]

So this is one reason why Turkey and Israel are allies?

Would that we all had such courage and moral conviction.

[WaterDragon]

Fantastic man! I wish America had had a more compassionate and courageous leader than FDR during those years.

[a_Turk]

>> was he muslim?

Yes.. Shouldn't rellay matter what his religion was. He was a decent human being. Moreover, he was carrying out the policies of the Republic of Turkey.

[Robert_Paulson2]

"Yes.. Shouldn't rellay matter what his religion was."

What one does says more about them than what tag they wear.
I keep hearing folks demand "show us the good muslims"... and this guy was cream of the crop...

Thanks. Sorry to hear of his loss to your nation. May a million others rush in to follow his path.

[a_Turk]

A brief look at Jewish/ Turkish history.