Adnan Adıvar

Abdülhak Adnan Adıvar (1882-1955) (Dr. Adnan Adıvar) was a Turkish politician, writer, historian [Irzik, Gurol. "Turkish Studies in the History and Philosophy of Science", p.3. Published by Springer, 2005. ISBN 140203332X] , and by profession a medical doctor. ["Doktor Aldülhak Adnan Adivar", Halide Edib Adivar (ed.), Istanbul 1956.] He has done original research and written on history of science. [Medical History in Turkey: A Review of Past Studies and Recent Researches, Feza Günergun, Chair for History of Science, Faculty of LettersIstanbul University, 34459 Beyazıt – Istanbul] He was also an early supporter of the nascent feminist movement. ["A Biographical Dictionary of Women's Movements And Feminisms", Francisca de Haan, Krasimira Daskalova, Anna Loutfi, 2006, ISBN 9637326391]

He was one of the intellectuals within Mustafa Kemal Atatürk's circle, active in the Turkish War of Independence with his wife the author Halide Edip Adıvar. [Shaw, Stanford, and Shaw, Ezel Kural. History of the Ottoman Empire and Modern Turkey, Vol. 2: Reform, Revolution, and Republic: The Rise of Modern Turkey, 1808 - 1975. Cambridge, U.K., and New York: Cambridge University Press, 1977.] He escaped arrest in Istanbul by occupying British who were making a sweep of all Ottoman intellectuals and deporting to Malta at the end of WWI, by joining the Kemalist forces in Anatolia. Later he parted ways with Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, disagreeing with the new direction young Republic was taken. He opposed the immense powers given to Atatürk by the parliament, fearing he was going to be a dictator. He joined the short-lived opposition party "Terakkiperver Cumhuriyet Fırkasi" (Progressive Republican Party), and his name was later associated with an attempt on Atatürk's life in 1926 while he was abroad. Even though he was cleared, he stayed in exile until 1939.

Graduated from the Medical Faculty in 1905, Adivar left for Berlin to be specialized in internal medicine. Following the proclamation of the 2nd Constitution at 1908, he came back to Istanbul. As he was close to the Young Turks("Jeunes Turcs"), he was appointed as the director of the Medical Faculty at the age of 30. He served in the Red Crescent during the Italo-Turkish War against Italians in Tripoli, participated to the Balkan Wars and the World War I. In 1917 he married the novelist Halide Edib and both joined the team of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk in 1918 when foreign armies occupied Istanbul. In Ankara, Adnan Adivar was named Ministry of Health, Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Vice president of the National Assembly between 1920 and 1923. Following the proclamation of the Republic, he founded in 1924 the opposition party with a small number of deputies. He became the secretary general and did not hesitate to criticize the government. The party was abolished in 1925 on the argument that it backed a rebellion against the government. Disappointed, Adivar left for Vienna to accompany his wife who should undergo medical treatment. Allegation of his involvement in an attempt at Atatürk's life made him extend his stay abroad where he seems to have developed an interest in philosophy and history of science.

He directed publication of the Turkish edition of the Encyclopedia of Islam, contributing its introduction and a number of articles. His other significant publication is "La Science Chez les Turks Ottomans" (Paris, 1939), which can be regarded as a first attempt to present together the activities and accomplishments of Turkish scholars during the Ottoman period, 14th to 19th centuries [Abdülhak Adnan- [Adivar] , "Osmanlı Türklerinde İlim", Maarif Matbaasi, Istanbul 1943] . His other works include a Turkish translation of Bertrand Russell's "Philosophical Matters" (1936), a two-volume work in Turkish on science and religion through history, and many essays and articles on cultural and scientific topics.

He held various government and parliamentary positions in the early years of the Turkish Republic. He was a deputy in the first Turkish Parliament in 1920 and again elected there for the 1946-1950 session.

References

Persondata
NAME=Adivar, Adnan
ALTERNATIVE NAMES=
SHORT DESCRIPTION=Turkish politician, physician and writer
DATE OF BIRTH=1882
PLACE OF BIRTH=Ottoman Empire
DATE OF DEATH=1955
PLACE OF DEATH=Turkey