Vedad Uşaklıgil

Halil Vedad Uşaklıgil was one of the Turkish diplomats who was born in Istanbul in 1904 and attracted attention with his diplomatic career at a young age. Known as the son of the famous writer Halid Ziya Uşaklıgil, Vedad continued his life with his family after the loss of his siblings at a young age. At the same time, his brother Bülend Uşaklıgil also advanced in the diplomatic field and shared the same profession with him.

Vedad's life began with a childhood spent with family trips. Vedad, who discovered Europe after the wars and lived in Bern and Paris with his family, later transferred from the Ottoman Bank to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs with the directives of Atatürk. Thanks to his kinship with Latife Hanım and his piano talent, he had the opportunity to meet Atatürk.

After his appointment to London, he had to leave the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for a while and completed his law education during this period. Afterwards, he was assigned to the embassies in Bucharest and Tirana.

It has been a matter of debate whether Vedad Uşaklıgil, who died on December 3, 1937, while working as a chief clerk in Tirana, the capital of Albania, committed suicide or was the victim of a different event. His body was buried in Istanbul on December 19, 1937.

Vedad's life and tragic end were also included in the works written by his family and close circle. His father, Halid Ziya Uşaklıgil, wrote a memoir called Bir Acı Hikâye for Vedad in 1942, as he wrote after his other losses. This work was described as Uşaklıgil's masterpiece by Doğan Hızlan. Vedad's story reached a wider audience with Selim İleri's book Kırık Deniz Kabukları.

In addition, Vedad, whose life is described in Yıldıray Oğur's Cumhuriyet's White Victims, and his relationships with Mustafa Kemal and Latife Hanım, are discussed in Rıza Nur's My Life and Memoirs and İpek Çalışlar's Latife Hanım was discussed in detail.