Mehmed Esat Atuner

Mehmed Esat Atuner was born in Istanbul on 17 August 1887 as the son of Mehmed Rıfat Paşa.

Trained at the Mekteb-i Mülkiye, Mehmed Esat Atuner belonged to the diplomatic cadres that passed from the late Ottoman period into the Republic.

In the early years of the Republic, he served in The Hague. In 1922-1923 he was listed as legation guard, and between 1924 and 1928 he served under the name Mehmet Esad Bey Atuner as permanent chargé d’affaires.

After Yahya Kemal Bayatlı, Tevfik Kamil Koperler and Hulusi Fuat Tugay, Mehmed Esat Atuner took over the post of envoy to Madrid in 1944 and served there as Turkey’s representative in Spain.

Mehmed Esat Atuner died in Madrid on 15 March 1951. A military ceremony was held for his funeral in Spain, and his body was brought to Turkey. After the funeral prayer at Fatih Mosque on 29 March 1951, he was buried in the family grave.