Cevat Rıfat Atilhan

Cevat Rıfat Atilhan (1892, Constantinople – 4 February 1967, Istanbul) was a Turkish career officer and antisemitic writer, who was one of the initiators of the 1934 Thrace pogroms.

Biography

He was born in 1892 in Vefa, Constantinople. His father Rifat Pasha was the Governor of Damascus. The first years of his childhood passed in Damascus. Then he came to Constantinople and went to Fatih İptidaisi (primary school). After graduating from primary school, he started to Kuleli Military High School, preferring to military service. In his first days in the lieutenant years he took part in the Albanian campaign. He was taken prisoner by the Bulgarians in the siege of Edirne. Bondage lasted two years.

At the beginning of World War I, he was ordered by Cemal Pasha from Mersin. He came forward with his heroism in the Sinai and Palestinian fronts.

Upon the conclusion of the First World War, Cemal Pasha from Mersin came to Konya. The establishment of the National Front had great benefits. He met with Sultan Mehmed VI as the first national representative. When Sultan Mehmed VI left his post, Damat Ferid Pasha had Atilhan arrested because of a conspiracy. He was imprisoned in the Bekir Ağa Bölgesi.

During the Turkish War of Independence, he was appointed as the commander of Zonguldak-Bartin and Havalisi Fronts. It prevented the spread of the French Army in this region. Upon the victory of the War of Independence, he left the army and went into writing.

Of his anti-semitic book "Suzy Liberman, Jewish Spy", in 1935 the Turkish Army gave the order to buy 40`000 copies and distributed them amongst the officers.

In 1942, he was arrested by the government of the time on the grounds that the coup was being prepared. He was incarcerated for 11 months.

In 1952, he was arrested again in Malatya as responsible for the assassination attempt of Ahmet Emin Yalman. He was detained for 11 months and 15 days.

He wrote 74 works and thousands of articles. He was influenced by antisemitic politicians like Şerif Yaçağaz and Ali Galip Yenen. Because of his antisemitic writings, he was described as the 'Hitler of the Middle East'.

In August 1964 he was invited to congress of Islamic States in Somalia. He was elected as the Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Congress. This post was his last major mission.

He died of a heart attack on 4 February 1967.