Farewell to My Friend

The life of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, told through the eyes of Salih Bozok — his childhood friend, comrade-in-arms and loyal aide-de-camp — and framed as a letter Bozok writes to his son.

The story of their friendship begins when the two boys are six years old in Salonika and ends with Atatürk’s death in Istanbul on 10 November 1938. Along the way, the book recounts Atatürk’s school and military years, his bond with his mother, his love of nature and animals, and the road from their first meeting to the founding of the Turkish Republic — presenting the founder of the Republic not only as a leader, but as a human being and a friend.

Written for young readers and illustrated by Ergün Gündüz. First published in Turkish as Arkadaşıma Veda (Doğan Egmont, 2016). Livaneli’s 2010 film Veda draws on the same story.