From left to right: Strati Gylptis, Josef Catoni, Marcel Balit, Luigi Levante with wife Lucie, Lila Makzume, and others including Mayor Nicola Philippi.
From the left, we see Strati Gylptis, the founder and owner of Hatay Yağları company, and to his left, Josef Catoni, the founder of Catoni Shipping Agency. Sitting on the ground towards the center is a lady, who is the director of Catoni Shipping Agency, Marcel Balit. Further to the right is Luigi Levante, and in the front row, the slightly plump lady next to a coffee table is Lucie Levante, Luigi Levante's wife. The lady to her left is Lila, the mother of Antoine Makzume, along with Watt, an engineer from Forbes, and his wife. Others include Raymond Makzume, the brother of Lyonel Makzume, Mr. Joyce, the Director of Forbes, Emil Makzume, and Emile Boutros, the father of Ernest Boutros. One of those on the right is Nicola Philippi, the Mayor of İskenderun. On the far right in the front row, there is a chair. Standing to the right of this chair is Edwar Butros, and the child partially visible behind him is Antoine Makzume. The dark-clothed sitting lady to his right is Henriette, the mother of Lyonel Makzume. The lady sitting on the ground wearing a hat is Mirelle Makzume, the sister of Lyonel Makzume.
Source: Eduardo Levante-Osman Öndeş Archive
In October, general assembly elections will be held at the İMEAK Chamber of Shipping and the MDTO Mersin Chamber of Shipping. Candidates have been determined and their names announced in both Chambers. The candidate for the Chamber of Shipping is currently the Acting Chairman of the Board, Recep Düzgit, along with another candidate, Şadan Kaptanoğlu. They are conducting the election campaign with Captain Salih Zeki Çakır.
One thing that caught my attention is this: When Tamer Kıran announced his presidency eight years ago, Tamer Kıran, Salih Zeki Çakır, Recep Düzgit, and Şadan Kaptanoğlu were all together in a photo, and this quartet won the elections. Salih Zeki Çakır served as the Assembly Chairman, Şadan Kaptanoğlu as the Deputy Chairman/Acting Chairman, Tamer Kıran as the Chairman of the Board, and Recep Düzgit as the Acting Chairman of the Board. However, at some point later, Salih Zeki Çakır left this position, and Başaran Bayrak was appointed in his place. Şadan Kaptanoğlu was also not present in the quartet photo.
Today, Şadan Kaptanoğlu is participating in the election campaigns as the second presidential candidate alongside Salih Zeki Çakır.
In the MDTO Mersin Chamber of Shipping elections, Cihat Lokmanoğlu has been serving as the Chairman of the Board since 1989, and for the first time, Mesut Öztürk is participating under the name "Change Movement."
Mesut Öztürk, the leader of the "Change Movement," emphasizes that the current management approach needs to change, stating, "The Mersin Chamber of Shipping is one of only two institutions in Turkey that has independent chamber status along with Istanbul. It is our common expectation that such an important institution should be strong, effective, and solution-oriented. However, at the point we have reached today, the management approach that has remained unchanged for many years is now insufficient to reveal the potential of our chamber. The dynamism of our institution has weakened, decision-making processes have slowed, and significant communication gaps have begun to emerge with our members. It is time for change for the Mersin Chamber of Shipping."
Mesut Öztürk believes that MDTO cannot respond to the requirements of the age. He states that change is not just about changing names, saying, "The change we express is a change in management approach. It is a new management understanding that is based on transparency, continuously communicates with its members, produces solutions, prioritizes participation, strengthens institutional memory, and relies on common sense. We believe that the Mersin Chamber of Shipping must now adopt a management approach that meets the demands of the age. We believe that the Mersin Chamber of Shipping can regain its identity as a strong, effective, and respected institution. This change is not only about management; it is a change in understanding, vision, and work culture. We invite all our members to support the Change Movement, which is based on common sense, meritocracy, transparency, and productivity. Because it is time for change for MDTO."
The historical structure of shipping agencies in İskenderun and Mersin
The shipping agencies that date back to the 19th century show that the human structure in İskenderun and Mersin primarily consists of people who settled in these port cities from Ottoman cities such as Aleppo and Beirut. However, through marriages, the majority have merged with Italian and to some extent French and English families. Among this community, the Italian Giuseppe Levante family has a colorful story that traces back to the 16th century. The Italian-origin Giuseppe Levante family, settled in İskenderun, should be seen as a symbol of the shipping agency community in İskenderun. In this regard, when the documents and photographs provided from Edoardo Levante's family archive are combined with the family tree of the Levante family that goes back to the 16th century, a history emerges that stretches from Italy to İskenderun. This picture and story are actually an excellent source for the socio-cultural history of İskenderun. If the stone structure known as "Casa Paterna Di Guiseppe Levante," which was a mansion in the 1890s, could be revitalized as a city maritime museum, it could undoubtedly become a center of attraction, unique in the world, helping İskenderun to achieve the characteristics of a port city it aspires to be. This art, culture, and history project should be realized for both İskenderun and Turkish maritime trade. Then, as witnessed in every social gathering place known as the Sea Club today, this building, which has no function other than game tables, will have transformed into a reflection of İskenderun's colors that harmonize with culture and trade. This museum, which I will call the Giuseppe Levante House, is ready to be animated with elements that depict the past of Abdullah Butros and his sons' establishment and others. Instead of the now-untraceable furniture of French, English, and Viennese origin, we can recreate Casa Paterna Di Guiseppe Levante with furniture that reflects the fashion of the period from the 16th Louis era, the Empire period, and examples from the Napoleon period, as well as the Hungarian, Armenian, Greek, and Jewish masters over time, using photographs from the Edoardo Levante archive. This will create an art, culture, and history formation worthy of İskenderun's past. The museum idea should be an invaluable opportunity for a meaningful ownership that will carry the historical significance of İskenderun, which made it a port city, into the present. (Source: Osman Öndeş-History of Shipowners and Agents).
Some portraits from Mersin and İskenderun;
Hanri Atat from Mersin
I will describe the rooted shipowner and agents in Mersin; Mr. Hanri Atat was a very delicate gentleman filled with beauty and art. Hanri Atat's family migrated from Beirut to Tarsus in the early 1800s and moved to Mersin in the early 1900s. He was born on January 28, 1929. He graduated from the "Şanlı" İleri Primary School. He completed his high school education in Beirut and later attended Mersin Trade High School. He served in the military as a reserve officer. After working at Akbank and Ziraat Bankası, he established his own business in 1963 and married Aline Zehil in 1970. In 1986, he became the Honorary Consul of Denmark. Mr. Hanri Atat brought life to the Mersin Chamber of Commerce, Mersin Cultural Center, and Mersin International Music Festival; he made significant contributions to many schools, hospitals, Diabetes Centers, Universities, Opera, and Cultural Centers; he was involved in all kinds of social "charity" work. When he passed away on July 22, 2003, he was a Mersin resident who had become synonymous with the city. As his name suggests, Hanri Atat was not a Muslim; in accordance with the customs of tolerance in Mersin, he was buried as a Catholic by a priest from the Catholic church, while a cleric also read the Quran at his grave.
Remon Kumdereli from Mersin
I also knew Mr. Remon Kumdereli. He was an extremely delicate person. He was a lover of Mersin. He was a friendly person. Remon Kumdereli, one of the founders of the Mersin Chamber of Shipping and a former assembly president, passed away in Mersin on April 18, 2010, and his funeral was held on April 19, 2010, at the Mersin Orthodox Church, after which he was buried in the city cemetery.
Albert Botros from Mersin
The story of the Botros family goes back to the time of the French architect Ferdinand de Lesseps during the reign of Egyptian Viceroy Said Pasha, who opened the Suez Canal. After Ferdinand de Lesseps founded the International Suez Canal Company in 1858, he continued the excavation work connecting the Mediterranean to the Red Sea. The canal was inaugurated by French Empress Eugénie in 1869. The nearest forest area to meet the timber needs for the construction of the Suez Canal was obtained from the forests in the Mersin region. The Botros family came to Mersin from Beirut to meet the timber needs for the construction during the Suez Canal's construction. At that time, there were cut forests created by pine trees in the mountains behind Mersin. İskender Botros, along with his assistants, would go to the mountains, and they would slide the logs they cut from the pine trees down the mountain with carts, bringing them to the coast in Mersin. The logs were then loaded onto ships from there and sent to Suez. Thanks to İskender Botros's efforts, he became a respected name in this coastal town.
The third generation, Aleks İskender Botros, recalls his family story as follows: "My grandmother Juliette Nader came to Mersin with her family from Beirut. My mother Annie Guetcherian's side, on the other hand, migrated to Lebanon from Tarsus, where they were born and raised, in the 1910s. My father Albert Botros was born in Mersin in 1933. After completing his middle and high school education in Beirut, he attended school in England for a while to learn English. After finishing his studies in England, my father returned to Mersin to take over the family business, but unfortunately, he passed away at a very young age.
My father Albert Botros met my mother in Beirut, and their friendship resulted in a happy marriage. After a while, they moved to Mersin. In 1954, my father Albert Botros returned to Mersin after completing his higher education in Lebanon and London and started working with his father İskender Botros. At that time, the company continued its operations under the name "İskender Albert Botros Nakliyat ve Tic. Ltd. Şti."
With the death of Albert Botros in 1996, the management of the company was taken over by his son Aleks İskender Botros.
Alfredo Levante from İskenderun
Alfredo Levante, a shipping agent from İskenderun, is a descendant of the Levante family, whose roots go back to 1468 with Nicola Marina, a ship engineer from Genoa. The lineage continues with Antonio Levante, a military doctor born in Genoa in 1514, who is the son of Nicola Maria. The lineage continues with Marco, born in Genoa in 1546, and his son Lillo, born in 1578. Lillo Levante and the Levante family were the first Levantes to migrate to the town of Larino, east of Rome, in 1606. Lillo's son Francesco Levante engaged in farming in Larino. This family bond, which spans over a century from 1607 to 1726, is still not seen in Edoardo Levante's records. However, a message from Italy on a page he opened on the internet indicated that this part is recorded in Italian population records. Edoardo Levante narrates the well-prepared family tree story as follows: "The first Levante in Larino in 1726 was a doctor named Tommaso Levante. Tommaso Levante had two sons. One of these children, Giuseppe Levante, achieved success in medicine to become a professor of medicine in Larino. The other was Fedele, born in Larino in 1773. Giuseppe Levante, who passed away in Larino in 1823, also had two sons. Luigi, born in 1787, was a military doctor. Tommaso, born in 1816, chose to become a doctor as well but preferred a political life leading to the mayoralty in Larino. Tommaso Levante was also a historian and had a handwritten sixteen-volume historical research on Larino. The first volume of this work is in our family's collection, while the other fifteen volumes are preserved in the municipal library of Larino.
The first Levante to migrate east was Luigi Levante. Luigi Levante served as a military doctor in the Napoleonic Army in 1813. His date of death is 1849. It is written that during the war with Germany, he had to perform surgery on one hundred eighty wounded for three days as a surgeon on the battlefields of Lutzen and Bautzen. In 289, he conducted research on the plague in the Ottoman territories and Algeria in 1818. His research is included in the documents at the Invalid Museum in Paris. In 1828, he was invited to Egypt by the French Barthelemy Clot Bey, the Health Minister of Viceroy Mehmet Ali Pasha, for his work. Dr. Luigi Levante was the one who actually established the first health organization in Egypt. During his years in Egypt, he continued his studies on the plague. In 1831, he left Egypt and traveled to Ottoman territories such as Aleppo, Damascus, and Izmir to conduct further medical research. However, his health deteriorated over time, and he became very tired quickly. Despite his desire to work, he withdrew to Magosa in Cyprus in 1828. He passed away in Magosa in 1849."
Giuseppe Levante, born in 1839, was the son of Luigi Levante and had two children named Giuseppe and Rosina in Magosa. He ventured into trade during his youth and is considered the first shipping agent of the Levante family. He would travel from Magosa to Aleppo to purchase goods for trade. From there, he would buy agricultural products and cotton and export them to Italy. However, at that time, Aleppo's only seaport was İskenderun. He would come to İskenderun by sailing ship from Magosa and then travel to Aleppo with camel caravans. He would load the purchased goods back onto camels and return to İskenderun. The loading of goods onto the sailing ship could only be done with boats. Over time, realizing the difficulties of continuing this business from Magosa, he migrated to İskenderun on July 28, 1839.
Emilio Levante, Josef Catoni, Romolo Babini, Rinaldo Levante, Chachati (Şaşati), Toni Kokalakis,
The first Levante to pass away in İskenderun in 1896 was Giuseppe Levante. Luigi's son Giuseppe Levante married a French girl named Emilia Béraud on January 1, 1865, and established the agency he named "Levante & Figli." During the years when his business flourished, they opened branches in Beirut, Tripoli, and Mersin. Their son Emilio Levante was born in the same year from his marriage to Emilia Béraud. Unfortunately, his wife Emilia Béraud passed away the same year. Over time, Emilio Levante settled in Mersin and established a shipping agency named Emilio Levante Successori.
Emilio Levante married Maria Giustiniani from Izmir. From this marriage, he had four sons named Edmondo, Rinaldo, Livio, and Enrico. Although Emilio Levante continued his work in Mersin with Edmondo, born in 1898, and his fourth son Enrico, born in 1908, it is seen that his other son Rinaldo Levante and his wife Tilla Levante migrated to Istanbul.
Edmondo Levante married Yvonne Barbour, and Enrico Levante married Rosy Rickards, the daughter of the Rickards family, who were also merchants from Mersin. Emilio Levante, the Honorary Consul of Austria-Hungary in İskenderun, passed away in Mersin in 1939. His eldest son Edmondo Levante served in the Italian Army during World War I. The daughter of this family, Cristina, born in 1933, married Romolo Babini from Mersin. They have children named Patrizia and Paola.
The second daughter, Anna-Maria, born in 1937, married Roland Essaié and has three daughters named Christine, Domonique, and Nathalie. Rinaldo Levante was the agent for the Navigazione - Assucurazione insurance company in Mersin and Istanbul. The company was located on Bankalar Street. Rinaldo Levante's son Davide Levante, after his father's death in 1990, despite his highly successful work in the field of tourism with a shipping agency named Levante-Mar, tragically took his own life in 1999 due to a crisis.
Mişel Şaşati from Mersin
Enrico Levante, born in 1908, worked with his father at the Emilio Levante Successori shipping agency. He had a son named Emilio from his marriage to Rosy Rickards in 1937. From Emilio's marriage to Maryse Chalfoun, they had four children named Edmondo, Marco, Claudia, and Jennifer. Jennifer Levante married Fadi Sayek, joining the famous Sayek family from İskenderun. Claudia married Michel Chachati from the famous Chachati family in Mersin. The trademark of Levante Successori was sold to the Arkas Group, headed by Lucien Arkas.
While narrating the life story of the Levante family, we will return a bit to Giuseppe Levante: Giuseppe Levante made his second marriage on July
Source: SeaNews Türkiye
