Asli Bali

Neylan Bâli

Elif Bali

Ayşe Neylan Akra Bâli passed away on April 3, 2025, in her home in New York City. She is survived by her beloved husband of 57 years, Ihsan; her cherished daughters, Aslı and Elif; her stepson, Ömer; her sister, Necef; her sons-in-law, Fred and Tal; her daughter-in-law, Zehra; and her adored grandchildren—Eren, Kaan, Kaya, and Ayla—each of whom was the light of her life and a source of constant joy. Born in Istanbul, Neylan was raised primarily by her mother, Ümmühan, and her maternal grandmother, Fahriye, both of whom played pivotal roles in shaping her early life. As an adult, she cultivated a deeply meaningful bond with her father, Orhan, and her maternal aunt, Selma. Neylan’s early years were marked by academic brilliance and artistic sensitivity—she attended the Üsküdar American Academy (UAA), where she stood out as a gifted student, and she trained as a pianist at the Istanbul Conservatory of Music. Her younger sister, Necef, later followed her path at UAA, eventually forging a distinguished career as a writer of screenplays and television scripts, and a widely read opinion columnist in Turkey. A Bridge Between Worlds At the age of 17, Neylan left Turkey for the first time to accept a scholarship to Wellesley College, a journey that marked the beginning of a remarkable life abroad. Her introduction to the United States was fraught with challenges—she was exposed to a global epidemic en route and spent her first month at Wellesley in quarantine. Yet, even during this unsettling beginning, Neylan’s strength and resilience shone through. She was embraced by the Whittemores of Connecticut, an American family her father had befriended years earlier during European sailing competitions. They welcomed Neylan as one of their own, offering her a loving second home during school vacations and emotional grounding in a foreign land. With their support and her own unyielding work ethic Neylan flourished, embracing the intellectual rigor of Wellesley and completing her B.A. in Political Science in just three years, graduating with honors in 1960. She continued her academic pursuits at the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs at the University of Pittsburgh, where she earned a master’s degree and, subsequently, a Ph.D. in 1965. Her dissertation advisor, Dr. Daniel S. Cheever, was a towering figure in the field of international relations and a former assistant to the American diplomatic team during the drafting of the United Nations Charter. Dr. Cheever encouraged Neylan’s fascination with international organizations and helped guide her toward a path of public service. Her dissertation addressed the controversial mechanism of the double veto, through which the United States was then blocking Chinese representation at the UN Security Council. This research immersed her in the procedural dynamics of the Council and often brought her to the UN’s archives in New York, laying the groundwork for her future career. A Lifelong Civil Servant With her doctoral research already establishing her as a promising scholar, Neylan began her professional career with a year-long research fellowship at the Center for Research in Social Systems at American University in Washington, D.C. Then, in 1966, she joined the United Nations, embarking on what would become a distinguished 33-year career as an international civil servant. Just prior to beginning her tenure at the UN, she made a long-awaited return visit to Istanbul—her first in over seven years—where friends and family introduced her to Ihsan Bali. A courtship blossomed across continents, and Ihsan, who was building a career in government in Turkey, made the loving decision to leave those ambitions behind in order to join Neylan in New York where he would spend the remainder of his career working as a civil engineer with an American engineering firm. The two were married in Istanbul in 1968 and returned together to Neylan’s professional home in the U.S. She started her UN service in the Peace and Security Studies Section, where she worked on analytical publications such as the Repertoire of the Practice of the Security Council and the Repertory of Practice of United Nations Organs. Her academic expertise made her a perfect fit for this research-intensive role, but her tact, analytic acumen, and diplomatic skill quickly led her toward more interactive assignments with member state delegations. She was soon promoted to Political Affairs Officer in the Council and Committee Services Section of the Security Council Affairs Division. In this capacity, Neylan worked on some of the most pressing global issues of the era—including decolonization and the management of Cold War tensions. She served on the committee established to enforce trade sanctions against the illegal apartheid regime in Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe), contributing to the international effort that eventually ushered in the country’s independence. She also acted as Secretary for committees addressing the Palestinian question and the coordination of international efforts around migration and refugee policy. In 1979 and 1980, she traveled to the Middle East as part of fact-finding missions on Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories. By 1985, she was promoted to the director level in the Security Council Affairs Division, and in 1994, she became its chief, holding the senior rank of D-2. This made her the highest-ranking international civil servant in the Security Council and the first woman to hold that position—a groundbreaking achievement, and one that also marked her as the most senior Turkish official working at the United Nations at the time. Even in the complex, high-stakes world of international diplomacy, Neylan brought the quiet grace and understated authority of her Istanbul upbringing. As a mother of two daughters, she also nurtured an acute sensitivity to gender-related issues, and was especially concerned with issues before the Council affecting women and children in conflict zones. Beyond her core assignments, she served with distinction on the UN Standing Committee on the Status of Women, advocating for gender equity in the Secretariat. She served as a mentor to younger women professionals as they rose through the ranks of the UN, many of whom became her close friends and colleagues over the years. She was also appointed by the Secretary-General to represent the UN on the Board of the United Nations International School—a community she deeply cherished and in which both of her daughters were educated. Throughout her career, Neylan’s integrity, intelligence, and poise made her a trusted figure at the UN and a frequent guest speaker at academic conferences and universities around the world. Her former colleagues knew her as someone whose analytic precision and moral clarity were matched by her generosity and humility. Upon her retirement, she was aptly described by Secretary-General Kofi Annan as the “institutional memory of the Security Council.” Motherhood as a Mission Though Neylan's professional life was remarkable, her dedication to her family was no less extraordinary. She poured her heart into parenting, believing deeply in the importance of cultural heritage and a well-rounded education. She ensured that her daughters, Aslı and Elif, were fluent in Turkish, nurtured their appreciation for languages, arts and classical music, and encouraged their participation in swimming, ballet and tennis. She juggled her demanding work schedule with managing her daughters' weekend activities, supervising homework, and always making time for family dinners. Through all of this, she fostered a warm and loving home that served as an Istanbul outpost amid the bustle of New York City life. Her love took many forms—bedtime stories created on the spot, full of whimsy and mischief; piano duets played with gentle guidance; and the making of Turkish börek and baklava from scratch, her fingers folding and crimping each piece with practiced care. She set high standards, expecting her daughters to measure up to her academic achievements, and brought a strict sense of discipline from her own childhood with her overseas. She kept her daughters connected to their Turkish roots through frequent visits to Istanbul and instilled in them the values of kindness, empathy and respect for their elders. Her household was rich with tradition, infused with art, and full of affection. Retirement and Reflection After retiring from the UN in 1999, Neylan relished the chance to spend more time between the cities she loved most—New York and Istanbul. With Ihsan, she traveled widely, embarking on river cruises through Europe, voyages to Alaska and the Caribbean with relatives, and road trips throughout Turkey with her lifelong friends. But the rhythm of her life shifted with the arrival of her grandchildren. From the moment they were born, Eren, Kaan, Kaya and Ayla became her greatest joy and source of pride. She glowed while recounting their adventures, reveled in their growth, and made it her mission to pass on the songs, stories, and language of her youth. She succeeded—her eldest New York-based grandchild has embraced Turkish and speaks it well, and the younger ones are aspiring to the same. Her grandchildren adored her stories, which were imaginative and brimming with heart, and they loved learning Turkish folktales and sampling traditional foods made with her signature finesse. Her home became a gathering place once again—filled with laughter, the sound of violin and piano practice, and the aroma of home-cooked meals. In her final years, Neylan was a source of wisdom, humor, and unconditional love to those around her. She kept in touch with friends across continents, wrote thoughtful notes and postcards, and remained a steady, loyal presence. She also forged new connections with those she met towards the end of her life, making lasting memories with a wide community of admirers near and far. She spoke daily with both of her daughters and saw them weekly. As her sight began to fail and her mobility became more limited, she still kept a busy schedule of phone visits with her friends and family in Istanbul and New York though she was no longer able to travel regularly to visit with them in person. She was a woman of uncommon purpose and principle who achieved important milestones in her career and was a true exemplar of the republican spirit that her parents imparted to her as a child in newly independent Turkey. Her commitment to secularism, democracy, and human rights—principles she held dear in both her native and adopted countries—never wavered. She was a bridge between Istanbul and New York, between generations, and between the worlds of diplomacy and family. Her passing leaves a deep and lasting void in the hearts of those who knew and loved her. But her legacy endures—in the values she imparted, the stories she told,  and the example she set. Her contagious laughter, lively intellect, and abiding devotion to peace and justice live on in her children and grandchildren, who carry her spirit forward every day.

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Neylan Bâli Obituary | Keeper Memorials