The Eczacıbaşı Clan — Chief Pharmacists of Turkey

Abstract

From a single pharmacy in Izmir opened by the founder of the dynasty Süleyman Ferit to an industrial corporation whose fields of activity include construction materials, pharmaceuticals, consumer goods, investment and real estate, the story of the entrepreneurial success of the Eczacıbaşı family unfolded against the backdrop of the turbulent political and social life of the Ottoman Empire and Turkey of the 20th century. The presented article examines the life path of the founders of the dynasty, father Süleyman Ferit Eczacıbaşı and son Nejat Ferit Eczacıbaşı, and the history of the success of their enterprises in its relation to historical events. The Eczacıbaşı family comes from Izmir, thus both the head of the clan, Süleyman Ferit, and his heirs witnessed the historical events of the early 20th century, which shook not only Turkey, but also the entire Middle East region. Not actively participating in the political life of the country, The Eczacıbaşı family had close ties, first with the Young Turk government, then with the heroes of the national liberation struggle Celal Bayar, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk and others. The materials used in the preparation of the article are also valuable sources on the history of the young Turkish Republic. Here you can learn valuable information about the Greek occupation of Izmir, about the development of the healthcare system in Izmir in the Ottoman and early Republican period, about the first significant events in the life of Izmir in the 1920s, for example, about the Izmir Economic Congress and the International Exhibition in Izmir. The history of the Eczacıbaşı clan is a vivid example of the origin and development of entrepreneurship among the Turkish population of Turkey and could be helpful to researchers interested in the history of Turkey’s economic development.