ISSN: 1011-727X
e-ISSN: 2667-5420

Gültekin Kamil Birlik

Keywords: Ataturk, Makbule Atadan, Abdurrahim Tuncak, Ataturk’s wealth, Ataturk’s will

Abstract

Ataturk donated his farms to the Treasury on 11 June 1937, with his 5 September 1938 will, he donated his cash, his movable property and real estates in Çankaya to Republican People's Party, under certain conditions.

Ataturk announced that he left his villa in Bursa, which was one of the houses that was given as a gift to him, to Bursa Municipality in February 1938. During his illness while writing his will, he decided that he would donate the other houses that belonged to him on his return to Ankara. However, he could not go back to Ankara.

In the aftermath of his death, all his houses including the one in Bursa were left to Makbule (Boysan) Atadan. Interestingly enough, he wanted to donate all his houses, not to leave them to Makbule Hanım, a special law was issued.

Makbule Atadan declared that the so-called will by Ataturk was not real and she was not convinced by it. The reason why she was not convinced by it was her expectations about inheriting more after his death. Along with this, she too wanted that Ataturk donated his farms to the Treasury

Makbule Atadan could not live on what she inherited from Ataturk and the salary of 1000 liras as part of his will. After her health deteriorated, on her request, due to Ataturk's service to the country, in 1948 the Turkish State decided to give her a salary of 1000 liras.

When Makbule Atadan died on 18 January 1956, she did not leave anything valuable behind. An official funeral to which all the government officials attended was organized for her as she was Ataturk's sister.