Melih Esenbel

Melih Rauf Esenbel (* 1915 in Istanbul ; † July 27, 1995 there ) was a Turkish diplomat and politician who was ambassador to the USA in 1960 , ambassador to Japan between 1963 and 1967 and ambassador to the USA again from 1967 to 1974 . After holding the post of foreign minister between 1974 and 1975 , he was again ambassador to the USA from 1975 to 1979.

Life

Studies, diplomat and Secretary General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Esenbel graduated after attending the prestigious Galatasaray High School (Galatasaray Lisesi) to study law at the University of Istanbul and entered 1936 in the diplomatic service of the Foreign Ministry (Türkiye Cumhuriyeti Dışişleri Bakanlığı) . After a short military service, he became an employee in the economic department in 1938 and in the commercial department in 1939. Shortly afterwards he was first Chancellor of the Consulate General in Paris and then moved to the Embassy in France in 1940 , where he was first third secretary and then second secretary.

After his return to Turkey, Esenbel became Second Secretary in the Protocol Department of the Foreign Ministry in 1943. In 1945 he moved to the US embassy, ​​where he was first secretary and finally counselor . In 1952 he became head of department and then in 1954 deputy head of the economic department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, before he took on the function of First Deputy Secretary General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1956.

On April 2, 1957 Esenbel succeeded Muharrem Nuri Birgi as Secretary General of the Foreign Ministry (Türkiye Dışişleri Bakanlığı Müstşarı) and thus the highest official of the Foreign Ministry. He held this position for almost three years until he was replaced by Selim Rauf Sarper on March 12, 1960.

Ambassador and Foreign Minister

As the successor to Suat Hayri Ürgüplü , he was ambassador to the USA for the first time for a short time in 1960, but was replaced by Bülent Usakligil in 1960 and took over the function of General Secretary of the Supreme Council on December 1, 1960 (Yüksek Müşaviri) .

In 1963 Esenbel replaced Nejad Kemal Kavur as ambassador to Japan and remained in this post until he was replaced by Turgut Aytuğ in 1967. He himself was again ambassador to the USA in 1967 as the successor to Rifat Turgut Menemencioglu and held this office until he was replaced by Aydin Yegen 1974 from.

On November 13, 1974 Esenbel was appointed Foreign Minister (Dışişleri Bakanı) by Prime Minister Sadi Irmak in his government, replacing Turan Güneş . He held the post of Foreign Minister until March 30, 1975 and was then replaced by İhsan Sabri Çağlayangil . He then replaced Aydin Yegen as ambassador to the USA and held this office until he retired on August 23, 1979. His successor was Mustafa Sükrü Elekdag .

His marriage to Emine Esenbel had three children.

publication

• Ayağa kalkan adam. Bilgi yayınevi , Ankara 1993

Web links

• Biography on the homepage of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs