amtrustfulthatnooneelseotherthanyouistherightmantotakeovertheprac-
ticalimplementationoftheplan.”²⁰⁶
InHoff’sFootsteps:DieminAnatolia,September/October
1933
CarlDiemhadneverbeentoTurkeyandneverdoneanyresearchotherthanon
antiqueGreece.Hewasunfamiliarwiththepolitical,economicandsocialcon-
ditionsintheKemaliststate.IncontrasttoHeinrichvonHoff,Diemwasquite
humblefromtheverybeginning.Inhisreplytotheinvitation,hedeclared
that“[e]venthoughIstudied[...]theglorioushistoryofyourcountrydiligently
[...]Ididnotgainanoverviewofhowtostudytheorganizationofphysicalex-
erciseintoday’sTurkey,youknowthisissuemuchbetter.”²⁰⁷Hewantedto
beginwithabriefinspectionoftheexistingsportfacilitiesinschoolsandprivate
clubs,theworkoftheBoyScoutsandothergroups,aswellassportinstruction
inarmyandnavy.Diemalsohintedathisinterestinasightseeingtourofthe
ancientGreeksitesinWesternAnatoliaduringhisvisit.²⁰⁸Inadditiontothisper-
sonalinterest,theinvitationoftheTurkishstatecameattherighttimeforDiem.
TheNationalSocialistgovernmenthadtakenmeasurestogaincontrolofthefor-
merlyindependentsportorganizationsandhadcriticizedDiempersonally.²⁰⁹
DiemwasabouttolosehisinfluentialpositionintheGleichschaltungprocess
and,therefore,preferredtostayabroaduntilthingshadsettleddown.
DuetodelayscausedbytheTurkishbureaucracy,Diemandhiswifearrived
inIstanbulbytrainon4September 1933 .Hewasassistedbyalocalinterpreter,
EkremRüştü[Akömer],aGermanophileandformerofficerwho,likeHüseyin
Rahmi,hadservedinGermanyfrom 1910 to 1912 ,andwasheadedforacivilca-
reerasasportsofficialinthelate 1920 s.²¹⁰Diem’sdiarywasfullofadmiration
fortheyoungrepublic.FollowingaconversationwithhisTurkishassistants,he
notedseveralracialremarksaboutthedefenceoftheGallipolipeninsulain 1915 :
HasanCemil’sinvitationlettertoCarlDiem, 24 May1 93 3.BCA 490100 K1116D75Sıra 2
Sayfa 74.
CarlDiemtoHasanCemil,2June 1933 .BCAF4 90100 K1116D75Sıra2Sayfa33.
BCAF4 90100 K1116D75Sıra2Sayfa 33.
Becker,CarlDiemsLeben,vol.3, 34 ,61.
Schäfer-Borrmann,EkremRüştüAkömer,95.
InHoff’sFootsteps:DieminAnatolia,September/October 1933 145