What Role Did the Inönü House in Heybeliada Play in the Fate of the Young Republic?

History knows the stubborn character of the "Second Man" İsmet İnönü. As the Foreign Minister of Rauf Orbay's government, he travelled to Lausanne as the head of the delegation. On 24 July, exactly 100 years ago, when he signed the historic treaty, with a stubbornness so determined as to infuriate even Lord Curzon, the haughty Prime Minister of the British, he made his nation feel the pride of successfully fulfilling the sublime task entrusted to him by Atatürk. He signs his signature on behalf of the Turkish nation at Lausanne and returns home with a diplomatic victory. With the exception of Mosul, this stubborn man ripped out all the Turkish rights, one by one, from the teeth of the seven powers. In Lausanne, this stubborn personality invalidates the Treaty of Sevres and the Armistice of Mondros. The independence and sovereignty of the new state was confirmed to the whole world. 

He was only 39 years old when he went to Lausanne and 40 when he returned. Those who witnessed that period tell us that the grey hairs on his head increased visibly during that one year. Days and months of heated debates in dimly lit halls, under insomnia and stress, exhausted his body. Pasha's health deteriorated. He is getting weaker and weaker. İsmet Pasha returns home from Lausanne in a tired and exhausted state. 

In this last homeland of the Turks, there was a tuberculosis epidemic in those years. The Turkish people, who had emerged victorious from the Great War, were as exhausted as their Ismet Pasha, and were struggling with this subtle disease. On his return from Lausanne, doctors examined İnönü. "Your body has collapsed. You are weak. If you get tuberculosis in this condition, God forbid, we cannot save you, you will die! You need to rest, you need to rest immediately." İsmet Pasha says, "I will die if I die!" 

He does not 'hear' what the doctors say, does not listen to them and does what his character demands. Despite his visible exhaustion, he prefers to continue his duty, perhaps he feels obliged to do so. Because Mustafa Kemal Pasha has embarked on a difficult path leading to the proclamation of the Republic. He does not want to leave Atatürk alone. Despite his fatigue, he never leaves Mustafa Kemal's side and continues to give him strength and support.

President Atatürk assigns İsmet Pasha to form the first government of the new Republic on 30 October. During this first prime ministership, the pioneering reforms and revolutions of the Republic began to be made. The unification of education and training (tevhidi tedrisat), the abolition of the caliphate and the establishment of the Presidency of Religious Affairs took place in this period. Consequently, the relentless rush of İsmet Pasha, who was tired of Lausanne, did not end. Even after Lausanne, despite the warnings of the doctors, he continued to put pressure on his weak body. 

Eventually, Gazi Pasha came to the rescue of İsmet İnönü's melting body. Learning that the doctors had said that İsmet İnönü 'must rest absolutely', Atatürk, using the domestic political conditions of the period as an excuse, asked him to resign as prime minister on 8 November 1924. Fethi (Okyar) Bey forms the government in his place.

Atatürk asks him to rest and take a break from state affairs for a while. In those years, Heybeliada was also a medically proven place whose air was known to be good for lung diseases. For this reason, Heybeliada was chosen for İnönü. A house, which is a little far from the shore and has no dampness and humidity problems, is rented with his belongings. The family settles here temporarily. The relationship between İsmet Pasha and Heybeliada, who could not refuse Atatürk's request, thus began in the last days of 1924, during this period of compulsory rest.

Tours are taken on the pine roads around the island, horse-drawn carriages or on foot. İnönü's interest in the well-known tree species starts here. It is seen that his health is rapidly improving. However, his enjoyment of Heybeliada did not last long. The Sheikh Sait rebellion breaks out in the east of the country. The First Man needs the Second Man again in these difficult days and asks him to come to Ankara as soon as possible. Following his arrival in Ankara, İnönü is reappointed as Prime Minister within a short period of time.

Over the years, the İnönü Family multiplied and new members joined the family. The eldest child Ömer was joined by Erdal and Özden. The family continued to come to Heybeliada every summer as much as possible. The children played tennis, swam and went boating on the island. They all had a good time together. İsmet İnönü continued to be with his family on the island whenever he had the opportunity, and when necessary, he continued to conduct state affairs in the living room of the house, isolated from the family members.

They are thinking of buying the house they were renting in 1934. They asked for 25 thousand liras for the house furnished. Atatürk advised him to buy the house unfurnished. Even though he was the prime minister of the country, it was quite difficult for İnönü to come up with such a large sum of money at that time. A hard bargain is struck with the landlord and finally İnönü convinces the landlord to buy the house for 9,500 liras. Gazi Pasha presents the new furnishings of the house as a gift to the Inönü family. When I saw these carefully selected items, I once again admired Atatürk's taste and the kindness he showed. These items, which can be considered modern even in today's conditions, are preserved in this museum house belonging to the İnönü Foundation as souvenirs from that time with their faces renewed.

İsmet Pasha settled on the island for a long time after he resigned as prime minister in September 1937. Celal Bayar, the new prime minister, visited him on the island and the two of them discussed state affairs in this house.

Between 1938 and 1950, during his presidency, Florya and Yalova had to be preferred due to the large size of his entourage. Nevertheless, the family could not leave the island. Mrs Mevhibe and the children continue their habit of spending some of their summers here, albeit for short periods of time.

The house on the island regains its former vitality between 1950 and 1960. During his opposition years, the retired 'President' started to spend most of the summer months here with his family. The famous nailing was done from the wooden pier of the beach during this period. The well-known pictures of him in a bathing suit with one sleeve rolled up and straps were published in the newspapers during this period. He and his wife go down to the beach near the house. When they landed on the beach, the inhabitants of the island, especially children and young people, immediately surrounded them. Together with İsmet Pasha, they walk in a procession to the wooden pier. While Pasha is nailing his nail, the young people and children perched on the diving board accompany him, and they all jump into the sea together. Mevhibe Hanım always checks the duration of Pasha's stay in the sea with the watch on her wrist. This is repeated frequently in a process that gets longer and longer. They go to the beach on foot, but usually return home by phaeton. Phaetons drawn by horses, which are now forbidden to be inhabitants of the island, were very popular for transport at that time. When returning home from the sea, Pasha preferred to sit at the table for lunch after dressing down to his tie and waistcoat. After the meal, he put on his pyjamas and rested by sleeping for about an hour. Pasha did not neglect to instil this habit in many people.

In the evening, tea is drunk on the balcony. He is usually accompanied by his guests and they accompany him. He receives greetings from passersby and island residents. The way he waves to them, his intertwining with the people is still talked about on the island even today. Sometimes, people go up and kiss his hand. Dinner is eaten inside. From time to time the whole family gathered at the table. Erdal, the son of the house, started to stay at his father's house after his engagement to Sevinç Sohtorik, the "neighbour's daughter", and at his father-in-law's house after his marriage.

At dinner, İnönü was also renowned for the care he took about his diet and what he ate. The first thing he did when he got up every morning was to be weighed. At first, İsmet Pasha had the habit of going to the pharmacy near the pier to be weighed there for a walk, but later on he had a scale brought home and placed in the bathroom. This scale of İnönü, who had a high level of attention to detail, was, of course, a scale with scales and had to weigh to the gram. This antique scale from those years continues to be kept in its original place in the bathroom of the house.

İsmet İnönü could not break away from politics during his retirement. Instead of decreasing between 1950 and 1960, the opposition leader's work continued to increase. The CHP lost the elections on 14 May 1950 against the Democratic Party, the party of Celal Bayar and Adnan Menderes. As a result of this political defeat, İnönü and his CHP party fell into opposition. As a result, various tendencies and movements emerged in his opposition party, as is the case in the CHP today. During these years when İnönü was the main opposition party of the CHP, the party that founded the Republic, he continued to take on the historical responsibility of endeavouring to ensure that the party survived without disintegrating. For this reason, most of Mevhibe Hanım's guests at that time were CHP politicians. Fortunately, since the guests had to return on the "Last Ferry", the crowdedness of the house could be reduced in the evenings.

1954 elections take place. When these elections turn out to be even worse, Pasha's job becomes even more difficult. He could only partially stop the collapse of his party in 1956. In the meantime, prominent members of the Republican People's Party and the Hürriyet Party were added to the visitors in Heybeliada. Co-operation talks between the opposition parties of the period continue in Taşlık and the houses on the island. Many protocols are signed. Well-known politicians of the period take their places among the guests sitting at the dinner table of the İnönü family. This is politics! On 14 May of this year, formations similar to the 'Table of Six' are discussed, and hard bargains are made between the leaders of the opposition. The small parties, those who want to be on İnönü's side, are always asking for more than they deserve. The CHP elders are pressurising Pasha, telling him not to make so many concessions. Inönü was in a similar situation to the one Kılıçdaroğlu is in this year. It was in this house on the island that İsmet Pasha said to the leaders of his own party, "I am tired of dealing with the madmen of the others, don't come against me!"

After 27 May and during his prime ministership, the traffic at the house on the island tends to decrease again. From time to time in the summer months, the house is still open and welcomes guests. Sometimes, from Ömer's house in Maltepe, the guests travelled to the island by ferry and stayed for a few days, reminiscing about the old days and taking trips to the island. 

When they arrived on the island, Ismet Pasha invited his barber Yani to his house every morning for a hundred shaves. When he needed a haircut, he continued to go to his shop in the bazaar. During İsmet Pasha's post-1960 period as Prime Minister, Maltepe became more of a walkabout, and the convenience of taking the train back to Ankara on Sunday evenings became an opportunity for Pasha to keep in touch with the island.

Before the 1960 coup d'état, he held his famous 'restructuring' meetings with İsmail Rüştü Aksal, who had become the Secretary General of the CHP in 1959, in this house. His chief guests during this period were İsmail Rüştü Aksal, the CHP's secretary general, and his wife Jale Aksal. They were usually in the study, and in the evenings on the balcony they were busy forming the idea of the "left of centre". This idea is finalised in this house on the island and presented to the party and the public.

Other visitors to the house were unforgettable journalists, who were known as young, dynamic reporters who could enter through the window if they were thrown out of the door. İnönü organised many press conferences at his house in Heybeliada. In the meantime, many dodging games were played with each other.

The sad period of the house in Heybeliada begins after 1973. İsmet İnönü left us forever that year. On 25 December 1973, he passes away at the age of 89 at the Pink Mansion in Ankara. During İsmet Pasha's absence, the house on the island was not opened for the first summers. Even when she was living in Kartal, Mrs Mevhibe could not bring herself to visit the house on the island. However, the homesickness for the house on the Island became unquenchable for the İnönü Family. Moreover, her daughter-in-law Sevinç was also an Island child. Eventually, some summers, the house on the island was opened and cleaned. Mrs Mevhibe moves there. Erdal and Sevinç stay with her in the house on the island, they do not leave her alone. They also take care of the house in order to keep the life alive in this house in Heybeliada.

We all know that houses, like people, are subject to the wrath of nature. The house of years, especially the beautiful gardens and embankments behind it, are gradually collapsing in the loneliness of their abandonment. As the only solution, it was decided that this historical house would no longer be a private mansion, but would be turned into a "İsmet İnönü House", not a museum, as there are examples abroad. For this purpose, the İnönü family donated the house to the İnönü Foundation. 

Thus, this house, where İsmet İnönü took his first step in 1924, can continue to live today, hosting the belongings of Atatürk and the memories of İnönü and his family. I had the opportunity to get acquainted with this lovely house during my visit yesterday. I had the pleasure of learning a lot from Mrs Akbıyık and her assistant Nazlı Hanım, who conveyed the history of the house to us with a very beautiful and simple narration, and I had the pleasure of listening to the beautiful memories of the house. I owe them a debt of gratitude. 

If you are travelling to Heybeliada, and I would like you to do so especially for this house, do not return without visiting this historical and special house. After this visit, I can already say that you will leave this house with very different feelings, with a different pride, and by getting to know İsmet İnönü better.

References

https://www.ismetinonu.org.tr/heybeliada-ismet-inonu-evi/

Hüseyin Fazla, Heybeliada Journey Notes, 29 July 2023

You can visit the house every day between 10:00-17:00 hours, except Mondays. Phone number for info/coordination is +90 216 351 8449