Orhan Halit Erol

Orhan Halit Erol graduated from Robert College in 1911 and built a career in consular and embassy work. He was in charge in London from 1927 to 1930 and in New York from 1933 to 1937. His service also included Bombay. ^{1, 2, 3}

As counselor in Washington during the Second World War, Erol handled practical exchanges over military assistance. In December 1942 he asked the State Department about a proposed Lend-Lease agreement after Ankara reported that a draft had been delivered. The American official explained that the draft was still awaiting internal approval and would need to reflect Türkiye’s neutrality at the time. ⁴

Erol headed the embassy as chargé d’affaires after Münir Ertegün’s death in 1944. He signed the International Air Services Transit Agreement drawn up at Chicago that December alongside Şükrü Koçak and Ferruh Şahinbaş. ^{6, 5}

On 24 February 1945 Erol formally communicated Türkiye’s adherence to the Declaration by United Nations following its declaration of war on Germany and Japan. Acting Secretary of State Joseph Grew’s reply arranged for Erol to sign on 28 February and explicitly identified him as chargé d’affaires. ⁶