Turkish Shipowners and Agents Society has a Legendary Name - Mehmet Arif Erten Written by: Osman Öndeş
(From left) Captain Mehmet Tuğcu, Arif Erten, Captain Nejat Olcay, Captain Adil Tuğcu
With this work, I have endeavored to narrate the life of Mr. Mehmet Arif Erten. Despite knowing him very closely for many years, somehow I had not recorded any details about his life. He was an extremely humble personality who was rarely seen around. Who was Mr. Mehmet Arif Erten? He was 99 years old at the time of his passing! As days and weeks passed, I saw that the unknowns were being unveiled thanks to the extensive interests of Recep Düzgit, Yusuf Çakır, Dr. Akif Akça, Ali Can, Yıldız Erten, the Principal of the Yıldız Erten Kindergarten, and Handan Derya, who had previously served as the principal of this school in earlier years. I thank them and all those who showed interest. Mr. Mehmet Arif Erten was also a very special personality in his personal life. In his later years, he went to the USA for open-heart surgery and returned to Turkey after the operation. I must recount a memory; the Soviet Union had collapsed, and the new Russian Republic had been established. In those early months, when Mehmet Arif Erten and İhsan Tezcan were invited to the Russian Consulate in Beyoğlu by Captain Umar Abbasov, they invited me as well. We were taken one by one through the iron-gated door on the street and entered the consulate building after passing through the courtyard. They took us to a fairly large amphitheater-style hall on the second floor. I remember it as being covered in marble everywhere. I was just a curious listener. I understood that Maritime Transport Industry & Trade Ltd. - Transbosphore Maritime Transport Industry and Trade Inc. was nearing the end of its life. In this meeting, Bumerang and Morflot emerged with equal shares. Bumerang Shipping Agency Tourism, Travel and Trade Inc., established in 1984, celebrated its establishment with an invitation held at the Istanbul Hilton Hotel. Bumerang Shipping Agency Tourism, Travel and Trade Inc. would cease its commercial activities in 2008.
Bumerang Shipping Agency Tourism, Travel and Trade Inc., one of the former members of the Shipowners and Agents Association, and the founder and owner of Transbosphore Maritime Transport Industry and Trade Inc., Arif Erten passed away in the early morning hours of March 11, 2019. Ali Can, who had been his assistant and chauffeur for many years, called Recep Düzgit to inform him of Mr. Arif Erten's death. It was again early morning hours... Salim Düzgit’s phone rang... The caller was Ali Can, who had been Mr. Arif Erten’s assistant and chauffeur for a quarter of a century. “Uncle Salim, Mr. Arif has passed away... May our heads be blessed...” he said.
Mr. Arif had expressed his wish for his funeral to be held at the Zeytinburnu Merkez Efendi Mosque. The founder of this mosque was Merkez Efendi - Mevlevi Musa Muslihuddin. The humble life of Mehmet Arif Erten and his charitable nature gain significance in connection with Mevlevilik. Arif Erten lived with a Mevlevi attitude. He was always humble.
His funeral was held on Wednesday, March 13, 2019, after the noon prayer at Zeytinburnu Merkez Efendi Mosque, and he was laid to rest beside his mother, Emine Hanım, in the Merkez Efendi Family Cemetery.
In the cemetery surrounding the Merkez Efendi Tomb and Mosque in the Topkapı district of Zeytinburnu, there were also the graves of Reshika and Fahriye, daughters of Erzincanlı Tahiroğlu Hakkı. Ali Can, who had been by Arif Erten's side since 1969, bid farewell to his great friend Mr. Arif Erten from the grave of his Erzincan mother, Emine Hanım.
Mevlevi / Zeytinburnu Merkez Efendi Mosque and Merkez Efendi - Musa Muslihuddin Tomb.
Salim Düzgit had also published a personal obituary in Hürriyet Newspaper on behalf of the Düzgit Group of Companies. The obituary read: “I have learned with deep sorrow of the passing of my esteemed friend and elder brother Mr. Arif Erten, the founder of our first company, Istanbul Bosphorus Shipping Services, with whom I started my commercial life in 1966. The funeral of the deceased will be held at Merkez Efendi Mosque (Zeytinburnu) on Wednesday, March 13, 2019, after the noon prayer, and he will be buried in the Merkez Efendi Family Cemetery. We pray for mercy for the deceased and extend our condolences and patience to his grieving family, relatives, friends, and our community - Salim Düzgit.”
The photograph of Mehmet Arif Erten in this work is the one included in the obituary. As my research continued, I came across other photographs and witnesses. Where was Mr. Mehmet Arif Erten from? Who were his mother and father? Did he have siblings? Where was the family originally from, that is, where did the family's roots lie? How did his childhood years pass, and why did he enter Kuleli Military High School and later graduate from the Army Academy? Where did he serve?
Did he speak Russian or other foreign languages? In correspondence, he was listed simply as “Arif Erten.” In the population registry, his father's name was recorded as “Mehmet” as a second name. This was a tradition before the surname law, and he was registered as “Mehmet Arif Erten” instead of “Mehmetzade Arif.” Through my research, I accessed records related to his mother and father; the family was from Erzincan. His mother was Emine, daughter of Tatar Osman Ağa (1884-1962), and his father was Mehmet Ali Rızaoğlu from Erzurum. After the Family Surname Law was enacted, they adopted the surname “Erten,” which means “when the morning sun rises.” Although there is no definitive information on this, there is knowledge that a branch of the family migrated to Maraş Elbistan many years ago. (Source: Arif Bilgin) Mehmet Arif Erten's mother, Emine Erten, was born in Erzincan in 1884. She passed away in Istanbul in 1962 and was laid to rest in Zeytinburnu Merkez Efendi Family Cemetery. His son, Mehmet Arif Erten, was born in Erzincan in 1920 and was laid to rest near his mother's tomb in Merkez Efendi Family Cemetery in 2019. He was 99 years old at the time of his passing.
H. Mehmet Erten, to whom Atatürk gave the surname “Erten,” was born in Elbistan in 1886. He was the son of Kırklı Mehmet Efendi and Hatice Hanım from the Sofular family.
He married Feleknaz Hanım, daughter of the rooted family Nakipzade Mehmet Ağa from Elbistan, and they had two daughters named Lütfiye and Makbule. Since they had no male children, he showed great ingratitude by leaving his wife and two daughters at home and settling in Istanbul, where he met and married Muazzez Hanım in a friend gathering. They had no children from this marriage. H. Mehmet Erten moved his residence to Istanbul in 1952 and passed away in Istanbul on March 27, 1953. (Mehmet Arif Erten also had two marriages, and he had no children from his second marriage.) His grave is in Zincirlikuyu Cemetery. There is no further information about the familial ties between Rızaoğlu Mehmet Erten and H. Mehmet Erten.
Who was Yıldız Erten Hanım, and the same questions need to be asked for her as well... Arif Erten remarried some time later, and his second wife is Yıldız Erten. How did Mr. Arif Erten and Yıldız Hanım meet... My research shows that Yıldız Hanım's family initially lived in Kadıköy Kızıltoprak. Her mother was Asiye, and her father was Mehmet Sait. She was born in Istanbul on January 13, 1926. According to this information, Yıldız Erten was four years younger than her husband, Arif Erten. She passed away before him. Her grave is in Ortaköy Cemetery.
Arif Erten's son from his first marriage is Ali Erten. Handan Derya, who served as the Principal of Yıldız Erten Kindergarten, stated that she has many valuable memories and testimonies; she said, “I knew them for about twenty years, and our friendship continued for years. They lived on the top floor of the Cevre Apartment in Balmumcu and were extremely humble people. Yıldız Erten dedicated her life to the needy, the poor, and the education of children. She would go to Darülaceze almost every month, chat with the elderly in need of help, bring assistance, and even cut the nails of some needy women. She wanted children to receive good and healthy education from their kindergarten years. For this reason, she adopted the school, initially named Gülbahar Kindergarten in I. Levent, and ensured that it provided much more effective educational services through a foundation.
(From right) Yusuf Çakır, Salim Düzgit, and Ali Can at Merkez Efendi Mosque. March 13, 2019.
After the passing of Mr. Arif Erten, I believe that the Bumerang Shipping Agency Tourism, Travel and Trade Inc. in Karaköy was transferred to Ali Erten Bey.
Arif Erten made investments in health matters alongside his activities in Turkish maritime trade. He was a founding partner of Medmar, located near the American Hospital in Nişantaşı. I believe that the Medmar company in Nişantaşı was also transferred to his son, Ali Erten Bey, after the passing of Mr. Arif Erten.
General Staff Chief İsmail Hakkı Karadayı, a graduate of the 1953 Army Academy, was from a younger class than him, and their friendship lasted for many years, and he would visit Arif Erten at his home in Balmumcu. Arif Erten generated very high revenues with Transbosphore and Bumerang and was among the top taxpayers of corporate tax in Istanbul for many years. During the days I was working on this, I had not yet been able to reach Ali Erten Bey. I hope it will be possible to reach him as well. Additionally, Ali Can, who had been his chauffeur for many years, has witnessed many events. Ali Can, who still resides in Tarabya, comes from a Black Sea family. After serving in the navy, he began working with Mr. Arif Erten in 1969 and has always been by his side. Thanks to the witnesses I have gradually reached, the archival information about Mr. Arif Erten's life story has deepened significantly. However, information about Yıldız Erten Hanım remains very incomplete. I hope to complete the gaps and repay our debt of gratitude to Arif Erten and Yıldız Erten!
In 1984, Arif Erten was ranked sixth on the list of the highest corporate tax payers.
In 1984, Arif Erten was ranked sixth on the list of the highest corporate tax payers, and there were two shipping agencies on the list of the highest corporate tax payers; Mehmet Ali Yümaç..... 814.659.368. Yüksel Titanoğlu.......... 758.594.753. Şank Tara....................600.206.983. Ali Rıza Çarmıklı ...........464.529.735. İnan Kıraç ..................... 354.181.382. Mehmet Arif Erten .....346.251.313.
Nusret Arsel.................. 338.127.277. Erdoğan Gönül............. 317.007.754. L.Aleksandr Dabković..248.316.998. Tevfık Ercan.................. 210.271.445.
The second largest tax record holder, Alexandr Dabković, came from a Yugoslav family. During World War II, especially while his father was working with the Yugoslav shipping companies they represented, he faced serious difficulties. One of these companies was “H.Pakuric Shipping Agency.” The passenger/cargo ship named Lovcen represented by this agency made stops in Istanbul, Constanța, Piraeus, Corfu, Albania, Dalmatia coast docks, Dalmatia, Trieste, Venice, and Susak.
Arif Erten was always at the top of the tax record lists between 1982-89. He graduated from the Army Academy as an “Artillery Officer.” In 1953, he took on various and some special duties with the rank of Lieutenant. One of these was the task of welcoming some Turkish soldiers who had been captured by North Korean troops in Kunuri in Istanbul. He was present as the Reception Representative at Yeşilköy Airport. In the same reception, U.S. Colonel Ellis Blake and Lieutenant Colonel George Lovegoy were representatives.
Arif Erten served as the aide-de-camp to General Staff Chief General Cemal Gürsel. In later years, he resigned from his service in the Armed Forces. He first took a position in a refrigerator manufacturing factory in Kağıthane. He then started working at a customs broker in Şişli. Thus, he was able to get to know the shipping agencies in Karaköy. The Deputy Prime Minister Sadi Koças called Arif Erten to duty for the representation of Soviet trade ships.
Arif Erten and Sadi Koças were friends from Kuleli Military High School. Sadi Koças retired with the rank of Colonel in 1961. In 1962, he was appointed to the Senate by President Cemal Gürsel, and in 1969 he was elected as a Konya deputy from the Republican People's Party. In 1971, after the March 12 Memorandum, he served as Minister of State and Deputy Prime Minister in the government formed by Nihat Erim. By choosing his military friend Arif Erten as a name to represent Soviet trade ships in Turkey, Sadi Koças not only chose someone he would trust greatly but also opened a completely different path for Arif Erten. After that time, unexpectedly, despite having almost no experience, Arif Erten began to work towards becoming a shipping agent. Ali Can stated, “Mr. Arif Erten was an incredibly disciplined person... Those who knew him would ask me how I could work within such discipline.” He always maintained an air of mystery in his life. He advised his employees not to be afraid of Soviet sailors and to establish friendships with them. He was rarely seen around and led a modest life. Together with his wife, Yıldız Hanım, they quietly established foundations for the education and health of young people. Additionally, they brought a kindergarten to life under this foundation and provided scholarships.
I was having difficulty reaching the “Arif-Yıldız Erten Health and Education Foundation Economic Enterprise.” I learned that their existing phones belonged to Dr. Akif Akça. Dr. Akif Akça, who served as president from 1999-2014, is currently the Deputy Chief Physician at the Istanbul Lepra Skin and Venereal Diseases Hospital in Bakırköy. I thank him; although very limited, he provided valuable information over the phone. However, he mentioned that he had no photographs of Arif Erten and Yıldız Erten. He said that there might be passport-sized photographs in the notary records where the foundation deed is located. He sent these to me via email. Thus, we were able to access a photograph belonging to Yıldız Erten Hanım.
According to the deed dated December 13, 1989, from the 5th Notary of Beyoğlu, based on the population register issued by Taksim Population Administration on March 17, 1958, with the number 929418; registered in Istanbul, Kadıköy, Kızıltoprak Volume 33, Page 110, Registry 109, Rıza son of Emine, born in Erzincan on (1930) is Mehmet Arif Erten, and according to the population register issued by Taksim Population Administration on March 17, 1958, with the number 929419/0-53282; registered in Istanbul, Kadıköy, Kızıltoprak Volume 33, Page 110, Registry 15, Şükriye Yıldız Erten, daughter of Asiye, born in Istanbul on January 13, 1926, applied to request the preparation of the foundation deed. Thus, the “Arif-Yıldız Erten Health and Education Foundation Economic Enterprise” was formalized.
This foundation is located in the foundation building of Bezmialem University on Fevzi Paşa Street near Fatih Mosque. Why was this foundation established in Fatih? In contrast, there is a “Yıldız Erten Kindergarten” on Sumbul Street in I. Levent, which is affiliated with this foundation. What is the rationale behind the extension from Fatih to I. Levent? Did they perhaps reside in I. Levent? Then how was the area around Fatih Mosque and Fevzi Paşa Street chosen? When I researched, I also found that they lived in Şafak Apartment in Levent.
His humble nature, his desire to help children's education, and his wife Yıldız Erten's commitment to serving the needy, elderly, disabled people, and abandoned children without regard to religion, language, race, class, or gender at Darülaceze were all influenced by a great spiritual belief.
Salim Düzgit, who knew and partnered with Arif Erten, narrated: “As a Bosphorus agent, I worked with almost all shipping agencies. The person who has never faded from my mind and who had a unique place in my advancement in the profession was Mr. Constantin Milović. He had tremendous knowledge and wanted both himself and the person he worked with to win. If I were to name them, the shipping agencies I knew and worked with based in Galata and Eminönü were as follows; Alex Dabcovich, Italico
Source: www.denizhaber.Photo: DenizHaber
Photo: DenizHaber
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