Selva Marsili: Diplomacy in style

By Sibel DORSAN

Architecture and décor, history, social and environmental problems and the similarities between Turkish and Italian society - these were just some of the topics mentioned during a visit to Ankara’s historic Italian Embassy as guest of the current “first lady” Turkish citizen Selva Marsili.

Ankara’s diplomatic buildings are as varied as their occupants in age, size, appearance and – no doubt - efficiency. Surrounded by grounds, a dozen or so stand out distinctly from the texture of the city, bearing stylish witness to its early days as capital. None are more elegant than Ataturk Boulevard No.118 - seat of the Ambassador of Italy.

Designed by Paolo Caccia, a well-known architect of the period, the Embassy fully reflects the Italian style of the 1920s and 1930s. The ornate ceiling of the Reception Hall, with its gold leaf reliefs illustrating each sign of the Zodiac twice, confers on it a grandeur which requires no further adornment. The remaining surfaces and objects are appropriately simple and tasteful.

Dramatic setting

Some of the furniture was brought to Ankara from Istanbul’s oldest diplomatic representation, the “Venetian Palace” at Tophane. Each of these pieces is a genuine antique. Other items came from the Ambassador’s erstwhile summer residence the Bosphorus-side Villa Tarabya. Finally, the 1930s atmosphere is reinforced by Murano chandeliers and sconces and a few other period additions. The Venetian style consoles and mirrors are particularly prominent.

The expansive Ball Room too is straight out of Italy, with its mezzanine orchestra gallery and the light streaming in from the adjacent courtyard. The eyes are drawn towards the splendid Venetian mirror, delicately decorated entirely in glass. The ambience is augmented with paintings, pendulums and other accessories, and complemented by Turkish and Persian carpets.

Enter the Marsilis

It is in these impressive surroundings that I engage in conversation with Selva Marsili, the Turkish wife of Ambassador Carlo Marsili. Mrs Marsili informs me that Italy was the second country after the Soviet Union to recognise the Turkish Republic, and one of the first to move its embassy to the new capital. The Embassy staff initially settled in a rented 4-5-room residence in Kızılay. The current building, completed in 1938, occupies a site that was presented as a gift by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk.

Ambassador Marsili first became acquainted both with the building and with Selva after he was posted to Ankara in 1979. Delighted to be in Ankara again after all these years, the ambassador’s wife admits that the posting was not entirely a surprise. Before being appointed to Ankara, her husband was Director General of the Personnel Department at the Italian Foreign Ministry, and had the opportunity to reserve Ankara for himself. Did a desire to please his partner play a role? She smiles and answers: “Perhaps. But he wanted to work here too.”

Changing times

The changes Turkey has witnessed since Mrs Marsili last lived here have not all been for the better. She is upset by the deterioration of the environment and the disappearance of the historical fabric. She suspects that behaviour is less refined, that the individual has lost out to a mediocre mass culture, and that the tendency to view women as objects has increased. She calls for family planning and above all education. A cultured and educated woman can make the greatest contribution to a high-level society, she adds, by educating her children, her family and those around her.

But Turkish membership of the European Union is on the agenda, and Italy is strongly supporting Turkey’s case. Selva Marsili believes Turkish membership will give the country a brand new look.

Similar or different?

Asked to comment on the similarities between Italian society and Turkish, Selva Marsili highlights the importance of family ties and the family as an institution. Yet she sees a lot of differences in terms of “individual rights”. For her, Italian society is the most individualist society in Europe. Men and women alike defend their own personal rights first, then those of the family and finally those of the wider group.

Children are spoilt in both countries, Mrs Marsili says, and the behaviour of young people is affected. In both countries, young people who graduate from university cannot find jobs, and they remain, like children, under the protective umbrella of their parents. This prevents them from developing their own personalities and thinking and deciding for themselves. And yet educated young people should be able to take responsibility for the futures of their countries.

Stronger friendships

The resemblance between Turkish cuisine and the cuisine of Italy, particularly southern Italy, with its dependence on pastry and vegetables, does not go unmentioned. I wonder if being Turkish is an advantage for an ambassador’s wife: “Sometimes it makes relations easier and strengthens friendships,” says Selva Marsili. “The fact that I am Turkish and speak Turkish is also useful for my husband in some cases.”