Tevfik Rüştü Aras was a Turkish medical doctor, statesman, and politician who served as Minister of Foreign Affairs for many years during the early period of the Republic of Türkiye. Regarded as an executor of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk’s foreign policy vision, Aras significantly contributed to the development of Türkiye's relations—particularly with the Soviet Union—and to the maintenance of peace in the Balkans. He is recognized as one of the practitioners of the principle "Peace at Home, Peace in the World" in Turkish foreign policy.

Early Life and Family

Born in 1883 in Çanakkale, Aras hailed from a notable family; his father was Hasan Rüştü Bey. He began his education in İzmir and completed his secondary education in Üsküp (Skopje). Subsequently, he enrolled in the Numune-i Terakki School in Istanbul, graduating top of his class. He continued his studies in Beirut, attending the French Secular School (Laïque) before graduating from Beirut Medical School, where he obtained his medical degree.

Education and Professional Career

Following graduation from Beirut Medical School, Aras held various positions in health institutions. He worked as an obstetrician at Gureba Hospital in İzmir. Between 1909 and 1911, he served as a health inspector in the Selanik (Thessaloniki) Province and later as a General Health Inspector. He was a member of the Sanitation and Epidemic Diseases Committee (Hıfzısıhha Emrazı Sariye Encümeni), chief physician at Üsküp Hilaliahmer Hospital, and chief physician at Çanakkale Hospital. Within the Directorate General of Health, he served as First Inspector, Deputy Director of the Sanitation Department, and Head of the Inspection Board. He also completed military service as a health advisor to the First Army, holding the rank of captain.

Entry into Politics

While working in Selanik, Aras joined the Committee of Union and Progress (İttihat ve Terakki), marking his entry into political life. During this period, he developed a close friendship with Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. During the armistice period, he was a member of the High Health Council and married Evliyazâde Makbule Hanım, daughter of the prominent İzmir family Evliyazâde Hacı Mehmet Efendi and one of the era’s female journalists. In 1920, he was elected as a Member of Parliament for Menteşe (Muğla) and also served on the Kastamonu Independence Tribunal.

National Struggle and Parliamentary Period

Actively supporting the National Struggle, Aras participated in the Kuva-yi Milliye movement. In 1920, he became one of the founders of the Communist Party of Türkiye (Türkiye Komünist Fırkası, TKF) and, at Mustafa Kemal’s request, traveled to Moscow to study Turkish-Soviet relations. He began his parliamentary service as an İzmir deputy in 1923 and chaired the Türkiye-Greece Population Exchange Commission in the same year.

Minister of Foreign Affairs (1925–1938)

From 1925 until the death of Atatürk in 1938, Aras played a pivotal role in shaping the foreign policy of the Republic. His tenure coincided with the enactment of the Law on the Maintenance of Order (Takrir-i Sükûn Kanunu). Aras established Türkiye's foreign policy as "a straightforward and sincere commitment to peace and the preservation of treaties." Reflecting Atatürk’s diplomatic vision, he fostered friendly relations with the Soviet Union, visiting Russia three times to conduct negotiations with Soviet officials. He promoted peaceful coexistence with Balkan states and strengthened Türkiye's friendly ties with Western countries. In international forums, he advocated disarmament and global peace, clearly opposing hegemonic ambitions.

After Atatürk’s Death

Following Atatürk’s death in 1938, due to differences in foreign policy views, Aras was excluded from the 1939 cabinet and subsequently resigned from parliament. That same year, he was appointed ambassador to London, retiring in 1942. In 1946, he supported the Democrat Party and the New Türkiye Party and was among the founders of the Human Rights Association. Between 1952 and 1959, he served as chairman of the board of İş Bankası.

Literary and Academic Contributions

Aras compiled his speeches on foreign policy in the book Ten Years in the Footsteps of Lausanne (Lozan’ın İzlerinde On Yıl), published in 1935 and translated into French in 1937. He contributed the article on Turkish foreign policy for the Diplomatic Dictionary. His newspaper articles on foreign policy were collected in a two-volume work titled My Views (Görüşlerim). In medicine, he authored works such as Smallpox (1914), Heating (Isıtma, 1914), and Potato Fever (Papatatis Humması, 1924).

Personal Life and Death

Married to Evliyazâde Makbule Hanım, Tevfik Rüştü Aras passed away on January 5, 1972, in Istanbul and was interred at Rumelihisarı Cemetery. Remembered as both a physician and diplomat, he remains an important figure in the early Republican history of Türkiye.