Source: Originally took from e-mail dated on October 31, 2006 sent by e-mail ne work of Daughters of Ataturk (USA)

Below you will find the story of how Atatürk moved a mansion through the rails so that a plane tree limb will not be harmed.

In order to understand Atatürk’s this particular behavior in its essence and not to think of it as an arbitrary or a bizarre act of a dictator, one must know and comprehend well; his love of this country, its beauties and nature and his interest in Yalova.

Atatürk Mansion in Yalova

(“Walking Mansion”)

Atatürk and the Oleaster Tree

The witnesses of Atatürk’s weeping are very few. Let’s read one from Nezihe Araz’s pen.

“… In the days that the dramatically forgotten countryside, probably on the way from Çankaya to parliament, was evoked by Atatürk, there was an Oleaster tree. Only one tree … And even when the most important issues were spoken, Mustafa Kemal would interrupt the conversation. The driver soon understood this and in that moment he would slow down the car and Mustafa Kemal showing the tree to the people around, would say: “look, this is my Oleaster tree”. This is an unaffected, sincere and noble love. Mustafa Kemal’s love was not only for that tree of course. He was passionately in love with nature itself and he was worried very much about barren Ankara. His passion was to make new Ankara a green place full of trees. And this Oleaster tree was the representation of this passion… one morning while they were passing that tree; attempting to say to the person near him; “this is my…” he saw that tree wasn’t there any more. Being shocked he jumped of the car and asked the employee there: “what happened to the Oleaster tree that was here?” apparently they chopped it down to enlarge the road. Mustafa Kemal returned to his car in pain and closing his face with his hands he cried...”1

The Plane Tree That Atatürk Was Devoted To

If Ankara is a place that Atatürk cosseted to reconstruct, the other is Yalova. In fact, it is said that he called Yalova “my hometown”.

He came to Yalova 27 times and he stayed there 313 days 270 nights in total. He never went somewhere except Yalova that much, neither did buy two farms and three houses from anywhere else.

Like every other issue that he worked upon, he strongly devoted himself decisively to the development of Yalova as a special place.

Atatürk would come to Yalova and visit first Termal then Baltacı farm on 19 August 1929. Next day, he pays a visit to the Millet farm. From there, after going back to Termal and then to Koru, he returns to Istanbul.

On 21 August 1929, he would go to Bursa via Yalova. A plane tree attracts his attention while he was passing through the offing of Millet farm (now; Atatürk Central Horticultural Research Institute). Atatürk, after stopping the yacht, goes to the beach with the boat. The magnificent tree fills him with admiration. He instructs to the people around to build a small mansion close to that plane tree.

A. İnan, talking about his memories about Atatürk says; “Yalova was chosen because of the beauty of a plane tree”2.

The mansion whose construction started immediately was completed in 22 days, on 12th September 1929.

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Atatürk’s Interest and Contribution to Yalova

Atatürk gave a great effort making Yalova an improved, livable and modern place whose people were in great desperation because of malaria disease.

Immediately after his discovery of Yalova (within 5 days), he brings approximately 400 craftsman (Blacksmith, electrician, carpenter, stonemason, etc…) to the city and puts them to work for the reconstruction of it.

He liked Termal and its hot spring facilities very much. He wants them to improve without deformation and become an internationally known health center. That is the reason of his attempt of building of the Termal hotel whose construction would complete in 1938 and even its garden was gorgeous. However, at first he had the restoration of the Termal Kurşunlu Banyo (an ancient thermal spring bath) done. Soon they open forest paths and equip with the new hot and cold-water pipelines, build additional water tanks and attempt to research the diseases that spring waters may help cure. They fix the Yalova-Termal road, and clean the Samanlı and Yalova brooks.

It would be a great mistake to think of these, as ordinary tasks. For example, the road that would get its name from the trees that have had planted by Atatürk (later named;”çınarlı hıyaban”)3, is the longest road with plane trees4 according to the president of The TEMA Foundation (The Turkish Foundation for Combating Soil Erosion, for Reforestation and the Protection of Natural Habitats).

The attempt to fight against malaria begins closely and with Atatürk’s order the first development plan was done.

Yalova formerly being a sub-district gains the statue of county who later became a part of Istanbul that had better financial conditions and the daily liner transports were started.

Atatürk, when he paid a visit to the Millet farm, gave an order to attempt researches on raising and selling of olives that was the main means of living of the region and to renew the 4000 olive trees that were out of efficiency and create a model olive grove. this enlightening move resulted in; “a centre for raising and selling olives”, sending of employees to foreign countries for education, bringing 6000 saplings mostly for pickling and creating Turkey’s first garden of foreign olive types collection, the legislation of the no. 3573 law about “The Reformation of Olive Raising and Selling”, the increase in the quantity of the olive trees up to hundred millions in the region.

Atatürk’s Farms in Yalova

Atatürk, in 1929, buys the Millet Farm, at the east of Yalova, and at the west Baltacı Farm, by tender and with his own money. (He donated these 11 thousand-dekare farms, which he personally took care of making educational and model enterprises, to the state)5. Baltacı Farm, up till now, was controlled by TİGEM.6 Tayyip, in 2005, passed a decree of YPK about the elimination of TİGEM so that 2980 dekare of the farm who is a heritage of Atatürk, could be assigned to Arabs for investment.

The place of our main issue; “The Walking Mansion” is the Millet Farm that was later named as ‘Atatürk Central Horticultural Research Institute’.

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The Mansion That Atatürk Had Transported For The Sake Of a Plane Tree Limb

Atatürk’s love on a particular plane tree, in the Millet farm, and that he built a mansion next to it, was talked about at the end of the first page.

The mansion that is in the Millet Farm7 is a two floor, quadrangular, wooden framed structure. There is an open space made of marble that is surrounded with columns and a thirty meters long dock, at the side of the mansion that faces the sea. What makes this mansion, that has a little canteen on the ground floor and a middle class sitting room, attractive is the meeting hall; that the entrance is from the sitting room and that is enclosed completely with plate glass so that, one feels out in the nature at all seasons. Atatürk’s famous gramophone, which he loves very much, is also in this room.

At the second floor, that can be reached using wooden stairs, there is; a resting room and small bedroom, and a bathroom. It is known that Atatürk did not want a kitchen to be made to this building because it is made up of wood.

The fascinating, old plane tree that caused the moving of the mansion is at the west side of the building.

When Atatürk went to the mansion in 1930, the workers wanted permission from him to cut down a limb from the plane tree because it gives damage to the roof and walls of the building by hitting it.

However Atatürk instead of cutting down the limb instructs to move the building a little bit further.

The Moving of the Mansion on the Rails

The mission was taken on by The Scientific Affairs Department of Roads and Bridges of The Istanbul Municipality. The head engineer Mr. Ali Galip (Alnar)8, comes with his technician team and starts working.

(As seen in the photographs below) at first, by digging around the building, the foundation is reached. The rails that were brought from Istanbul are installed to the building foundation. After the very precise work was done the building was put to the rails that were installed.

On Friday 8th August 1930, in the afternoon around 15:00 o’clock the operation of moving the mansion starts. This operation was observed by Atatürk, his sister Makbule (Atadan), Affet (Inan), Yunus Nadi (Abalıoğlu), Guardsman K. Ismail Hakkı (Tekçe), Aide Major Mr. Nasuhi and the engineers and journalists from Istanbul.

The moving of the mansion is done in two stages. On the day of 8th August, first the moving of the terrace section (the one that is surrounded with glass and used as a meeting hall) then in 2 days the moving of the main building on rails, is completed. And the building is moved 4,80 meters east.

On the Cumhuriyet Newspaper of 10th of August 1930 the operation takes place as:

“Ghazi Excellency (Atatürk’s) mansion is transported.

The operation of moving Ghazi Excellency mansion was done and completed with success. He superintended the work personally.

Perhaps, the readers of this news couldn’t give much meaning to what it expressed in that time because the country was dealing lots of important issues. And perhaps they were surprised about the moving of the mansion for a single plane tree limb.

Because, for that time they didn’t have ozone layer distortion, global pollution, acid rains disafforestation etc… The protection of nature didn’t exist in any country or president’s agenda. However, Atatürk comprehended the importance of the protection of nature in the 30’s what the others started thinking about and considering after 70’s and making the aphorism “The protection of environment is a matter of reason” he gave messages not only to the Turkish people but also to all the countries of the world.

If the limb were cut off, nobody would hear or react against. Even if such a person exists he would give his blessings to Atatürk who personally planted 1011 plane trees on a road that made “çınarlı hıyaban”. On the other hand, if the limb was so important, it would be easier to take down the building and build a new one rather than the moving of the mansion, but the main point here is the message that was given. Atatürk, under the cloak of a limb in Yalova, wanted to give a message to the public about the protection of the nature.

This is a message that we must comprehend and attend to, especially in these days that we ignore the ones that not only personally destroy the farms that are Atatürk’s heritage to us but also give all of them out, as if they own them.

The photographs about the moving of the mansion

resources (in addition to the ones told in the text)

http://www.zmo.org.tr/odamiz/dosya/toprak_02.php

http://www.arastirma-yalova.gov.tr/yk55/rky55.htm

http://www.egitim.com/cocuk/0251/d_0251.1.cevre._index.asp?BID=02&YID=11

http://www.haberci.com.tr/veri/icerik/detay.asp?id=73

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