Am luat hotararea de a publica si in engleza, cateva idei desprinse din memoriile lui Ismet Inonu:
Ismet Inonu, Hatiralar, Ikinci basim, Ankara, 2006, 631p + 44 pagini foto
The memories of İsmet İnönü are very useful for historians, especially for those who study the Oriental—Balkan territory. One of the most important men of republican Turkey fought alongside his friend of arms, Mustafa Kemal to build a free and independent republic. Main contributor of Ataturk, he reveals in his own memoirs all the stages the statesmen passed through in order to build a new Turkey.
Turk of Kurdish origin, born in Izmir in 1884, Ismét was closely related to native places and had the same ideals of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. Mustafa Ismét received the name İnönü after he won the battle in the place with the same name. A man of state, having a military career, being foreign minister and second president of the Republic, he was noted as a good organizer and a fair politician. Married with Mevhibe İnönü (22 September 1897 – 7 September 1992), he had 3 children: Omer İnönü 1924 – 2 March 2004, Erdal İnönü 6 June 1926-31 October 2007, and a daughter Ozden Toker, historian among others.
He was involved in the fight for independence, where Ataturk considered that he needed his services: from the Caucasus in Syria, then prefect and Minister in Edirne, actively participant in the first and second war of İnönü. The main contributor of Ataturk, he was the one who received credit to negotiate at Lozan for the independence of Turkey and the Strait regime. He was the Prime Minister of Turkey since November 1923, alongside a team headed by Ataturk, as the author says, that after having gone through war, they continued their ideals on diplomatic fields. The author details the events and reforms to which he took part, the relations with European countries, the Soviet Russia and the United States.
After Ataturk’s death, 10 November 1938, he was appointed by parliament the president of Turkey (11 November 1938-22 May 1950). He remained in politics, general president of the Republican Party (10 November 1938-8 May 1972), militating for keeping the ideas he fought for his entire life. His agedness led him to retire, leaving the party’s leadership to Bülent Ecevit.
He died on 25 December 1973 at the venerable age of 89 years. He was buried alongside friend Ataturk, in Ankara, in the mausoleum Anitkabir.
These memories come to render some colour to these events that would have remained poor for historiography. Conclude with a quote from İnönü „To a man the state is not easy to write his memoirs. But all his memories must be reported correctly. This is not easy. “