Ali Fuat Cebesoy
Encyclopedia
Ali Fuat Cebesoy was a Turkish
officer, politician and statesman.
and mother Zekiye Hanım. Ali Fuat is the grandson (mother's side) of Müşir Mehmet Ali Pasha (Ludwig Karl Friedrich Detroit) who was the commander of the Danube Army (Tuna Şark Ordusu) during Russo-Turkish war, participated in Congress of Berlin
as one of three representatives of the Ottoman Empire and killed on September 7, 1878 in Đakovica (Kosovo
) by Albanian insurgent
s who were not satisfied with results of Berlin Congress.
Ali Fuat attended the War School (1902) and graduated from the Ottoman War College (1905) as a Staff Captain (Erkân-ı Harp Yüzbaşısı).
under the command of Fifth Army based in Damascus
and after to 15th Artillery Regiment (On Beşinci Topçu Alayı) based in Thessalonica under the command of Third Army
as an intern. He joined the Committee of Union and Progress
(membership number was 191). On June 28, he was assigned to the staff officer of the Third Army. And then he was promoted to the rank of Senior Captain
and appointed to the area commander of Karaferye (present day: Veria
). On January 9, 1909, he was appointed to the military attaché in Rome, Italy. On October 1, 1911, he was appointed to the chief of the 1st department (chief of operations) of the Western Army. On February 20, he was temporarily appointed to the chief of staff of the I Corps
, VII Corps
. And then he was appointed to the commander of a detachment that was formed to liberate İpek (present day: Peć
) and Yakova (present day: Đakovica) from insurgents.
. And he participated in the Balkan Wars
. He became the chief of staff of the Yanya Corps
and on November 10, he was appointed to the deputy commander of the 23rd Division (Yirmi Üçüncü Fırka), replacing Mirliva Cevat Pasha. On December 12, when the Greek offensive commanded by Konstantinos Sapountzakis
was launched, he planned to retreat orderly but because soldiers got panic, his division was defeated. In the defense line of Bizani
he was severely wounded in thigh but continued to direct artillery fire while on a stretcher. On March 6, 1913, he and his forces surrendered with following the instruction of Esad Pasha
(Battle of Bizani
). And then he was transferred to a hospital in Kifissia
, a suburb of Athens
, to get medical treatment.
. After Kress von Kressenstein was appointed the chief of staff of this corps, replacing Ali Fuat, he was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel
(Kaymakam) and on September 19, he was appointed to the commander of the 25th Division. In January 1915, he participated in First Suez Offensive
. On January 7, he and his division left Birüssebi (present day: Beersheba
) for the desert and arrived at the front of the Suez Canal
. But the Ottoman forces couldn't pass the canal and retreated. He and his division went back to Gaza
on January 20, 1915.
After the Gallipoli Campaign was launched, the 25th Division was dispatched to the Gallipoli Front on May 24, 1915 and started to arrive there on June 2, 1916. His division entered to the order of the XVII Corps
of the First Army
and deployed in Bulair
-Saros
areas.
On January 20, 1916, he was appointed to the commander of the 14th Division. At first his division was planned to be used in Second Suez Offensive and sent to Maallaha. But because of Russian offensive, his division entered to the command of the Seconde Army
under the command of Ahmet İzzet Pasha, on June 27, sent back from the Rayak
station to Aleppo
and dispatched to Diyârbekir
.
On September 30 to the commander of the 5th Division and in January he became the chief of staff of the Seconde Army
.
On January 12, 1917, he returned to the Sina-Palestine Front and in April he became the deputy commander of the Sina-Palestine Front. On June 30, 1917, he became the commander of the XX Corps
. After the Armistice of Mudros
was signed, he concurrently became the deputy commander of Seventh Army
, replacing Mustafa Kemal
. After the Seventh Army was abolished, he transferred the headquarters of XX Corps from Syria
to Ereğli, then to Konya
and to Ankara
.
. He contributed to the resistance forces against the Greek
army that had begun to occupy Western Anatolia
. He signed Amasya Protocol and at the end of the Sivas Congress in 1920, he was appointed as the general commander of the National Forces by the Board of Representatives. The presence of him and his army in Ankara is the reason behind Atatürk's choice of this city as the center of Turkish War of Independence.
The same year, he was elected as a deputy at the First Parliament. He was appointed ambassador to Moscow, Soviet Union
in 1921, as he had quarrels with Ismet Inonu
, who was appointed by Atatürk as the Commander of the Western Front although Inonu had failed against Greek invasion at Kutahya-Altıntas in 1921. By personally negotiating with Vladimir Lenin
and Joseph Stalin
in Moscow, he signed the Treaty of Moscow (1921)
along the lines of the Brest-Litovsk Peace Treaty as the representative of the Ankara
government, which provided financial and military support from the Soviet Union to the Turkish Independence War, in exchange for the return of Batum back to Soviet Union. After finishing his duty as an ambassador, he was elected as the second spokesman of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey
.
, and he was elected as the general secretary of the party in 1924. During the rebellion of Şeyh Sait, the Law on the Maintenance of Order was affected and the Progressive Republican Party was closed down. Ali Fuat Cebesoy was arrested with the accusations of participating in the attempt of assassination against Atatürk and was taken to İzmir
. He was tried at the İzmir Independence Court
and was acquitted in 1926.
He retired with the title of general. He stayed away from politics for four years between 1927 and 1931). In 1931, he returned to politics and elected as a deputy from Konya
. He served as the deputy of Konya and Eskişehir
until 1950. He also served as Minister of Public Works from 1939 to 1943, Minister of Transportation (1943–1946) and as the president of the Parliament in 1948. He was an independent candidate of the Democratic Party
from Eskişehir
in the first democratic elections of the Turkish history held on May 14, 1950 and he was elected with a landslide. In the following years, he was elected as a deputy from İstanbul and served in the parliament for ten more years between 1950 and 1960. After the military coup on May 27, 1960, he was initially arrested by the junta with the rest of the Democratic Party MPs but later set free. After this experience he quit politics for good.
In accordance with his will, he was buried to the backyard of a mosque near Geyve
train station, where the first shots of the Turkish War of Independence
were fired, when he died at the age of 86. However, his remains were moved to the Turkish State Cemetery
in Ankara, after the military coup of 1980.
Turkish people
Turkish people, also known as the "Turks" , are an ethnic group primarily living in Turkey and in the former lands of the Ottoman Empire where Turkish minorities had been established in Bulgaria, Cyprus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Greece, Kosovo, Macedonia, and Romania...
officer, politician and statesman.
Early life
Ali Fuat was born in September 1882 to father Ismail Fazil PashaIsmail Fazil Pasha
Ismail Fazil Pasha - April 18, 1921; Ankara) was a general of the Ottoman Army, a politician, statesman of the Ottoman Empire and the government of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey. He married Zekiye Hatice Hanim, who was daughter of Mehmed Ali Pasha...
and mother Zekiye Hanım. Ali Fuat is the grandson (mother's side) of Müşir Mehmet Ali Pasha (Ludwig Karl Friedrich Detroit) who was the commander of the Danube Army (Tuna Şark Ordusu) during Russo-Turkish war, participated in Congress of Berlin
Congress of Berlin
The Congress of Berlin was a meeting of the European Great Powers' and the Ottoman Empire's leading statesmen in Berlin in 1878. In the wake of the Russo-Turkish War of 1877–78, the meeting's aim was to reorganize the countries of the Balkans...
as one of three representatives of the Ottoman Empire and killed on September 7, 1878 in Đakovica (Kosovo
Kosovo Province, Ottoman Empire
The Vilayet of Kosovo was a vilayet of the Ottoman Empire in the Balkan Peninsula which included the current territory of Kosovo and the western part of the Republic of Macedonia...
) by Albanian insurgent
Insurgency
An insurgency is an armed rebellion against a constituted authority when those taking part in the rebellion are not recognized as belligerents...
s who were not satisfied with results of Berlin Congress.
Ali Fuat attended the War School (1902) and graduated from the Ottoman War College (1905) as a Staff Captain (Erkân-ı Harp Yüzbaşısı).
Military career
He was assigned to the 3rd Rifle Battalion (Üçüncü Nişancı Taburu), the 28th Cavalry Regiment (Yirmi Sekizinci Süvari Alayı) based in BeirutBeirut
Beirut is the capital and largest city of Lebanon, with a population ranging from 1 million to more than 2 million . Located on a peninsula at the midpoint of Lebanon's Mediterranean coastline, it serves as the country's largest and main seaport, and also forms the Beirut Metropolitan...
under the command of Fifth Army based in Damascus
Damascus
Damascus , commonly known in Syria as Al Sham , and as the City of Jasmine , is the capital and the second largest city of Syria after Aleppo, both are part of the country's 14 governorates. In addition to being one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, Damascus is a major...
and after to 15th Artillery Regiment (On Beşinci Topçu Alayı) based in Thessalonica under the command of Third Army
Third Army (Ottoman Empire)
The Ottoman Third Army was originally established in the Balkans and later defended the northern and eastern parts of the Ottoman Empire. Its initial headquarters was at Salonica. With the onset of World War I, it moved to Erzurum Fortress. The headquarters was moved to Susehir after the Battle...
as an intern. He joined the Committee of Union and Progress
Committee of Union and Progress
The Committee of Union and Progress began as a secret society established as the "Committee of Ottoman Union" in 1889 by the medical students İbrahim Temo, Abdullah Cevdet, İshak Sükuti and Ali Hüseyinzade...
(membership number was 191). On June 28, he was assigned to the staff officer of the Third Army. And then he was promoted to the rank of Senior Captain
Senior Captain
Senior Captain is a rare military rank which is used in some countries armed forces.-Army:In some armies of the world, the senior captain is a rank between a regular Captain and a Major. The rank is often only found in armies and air forces...
and appointed to the area commander of Karaferye (present day: Veria
Veria
Veria is a city built at the foot of Vermion Mountains in Greece. It is a commercial center of Macedonia, the capital of the prefecture of Imathia, the province of Imathia and the seat of a bishop of the Greek Orthodox Church...
). On January 9, 1909, he was appointed to the military attaché in Rome, Italy. On October 1, 1911, he was appointed to the chief of the 1st department (chief of operations) of the Western Army. On February 20, he was temporarily appointed to the chief of staff of the I Corps
I Corps (Ottoman Empire)
The I Corps of the Ottoman Empire was one of the corps of the Ottoman Army. It was formed in the early 20th century during Ottoman military reforms.- Order of Battle, 1911 :...
, VII Corps
VII Corps (Ottoman Empire)
The VII Corps of the Ottoman Empire was one of the corps of the Ottoman Army. It was formed in the early 20th century during Ottoman military reforms.-Order of Battle, 1911 :...
. And then he was appointed to the commander of a detachment that was formed to liberate İpek (present day: Peć
Pec
Peć or Pejë is a city and municipality in north-western Kosovo and Metohija - Serbia, and the administrative centre of the homonymous district. Governor of city is Ali Berisha....
) and Yakova (present day: Đakovica) from insurgents.
Balkan Wars
On June 24, he was dispatched to Europe for the preparation to the transfer of arms and ammunition to Tripoli Vilayet. On September 29, he was appointed to the chief of staff of the İşkodra Corpsİşkodra Corps
The Scutari Corps, Işkodra Corps or Shkoder Corps of the Ottoman Empire was one of the corps under the command of the Ottoman Western Army...
. And he participated in the Balkan Wars
Balkan Wars
The Balkan Wars were two conflicts that took place in the Balkans in south-eastern Europe in 1912 and 1913.By the early 20th century, Montenegro, Bulgaria, Greece and Serbia, the countries of the Balkan League, had achieved their independence from the Ottoman Empire, but large parts of their ethnic...
. He became the chief of staff of the Yanya Corps
Yanya Corps
The Yanya Corps or Independent Yanya Corps of the Ottoman Empire was one of the major formations under the command of the Ottoman Western Army. It was formed in Yanya area during the First Balkan War. Its commander was Esat Pasha. It fought the battles of Gribovo and Pente Pigadia against the...
and on November 10, he was appointed to the deputy commander of the 23rd Division (Yirmi Üçüncü Fırka), replacing Mirliva Cevat Pasha. On December 12, when the Greek offensive commanded by Konstantinos Sapountzakis
Konstantinos Sapountzakis
Konstantinos Sapountzakis was a Greek Army officer. He is notable as the first head of the Hellenic Army General Staff and as the first commander of the Army of Epirus during the First Balkan War.- Early career :...
was launched, he planned to retreat orderly but because soldiers got panic, his division was defeated. In the defense line of Bizani
Bizani
Bizani is a village and a former municipality in the Ioannina peripheral unit, Epirus, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Ioannina, of which it is a municipal unit. Its 2001 municipal population was 4,241...
he was severely wounded in thigh but continued to direct artillery fire while on a stretcher. On March 6, 1913, he and his forces surrendered with following the instruction of Esad Pasha
Mehmet Esat Bülkat
Mehmed Esad Pasha , known as Mehmet Esat Bülkat after 1934, was an Ottoman general active during the First Balkan War, where he led the Yanya Corps, and in World War I, where he was the senior Ottoman commander in the Dardanelles Campaign.- Life :Mehmed Esad was born into an Albanian family in...
(Battle of Bizani
Battle of Bizani
The Battle of Bizani took place in Epirus on March 4–6, 1913. The battle was fought between the Greek and the Ottoman forces during the last stages of the First Balkan War, and revolved around the forts of Bizani, which covered the approaches to Ioannina, the largest city in the region.At the...
). And then he was transferred to a hospital in Kifissia
Kifissia
Kifissia or Kifisia is one of the most expensive northern suburbs of Athens, mainly accessed via Kifissias Avenue, running all the way from central Athens up to Theseos Avenue in the suburb of Nea Erythraia. It has traditionally been home to the major Greek political families...
, a suburb of Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
, to get medical treatment.
World War
On January 15, 1914, he was appointed to the chief of staff of the VIII CorpsVIII Corps (Ottoman Empire)
The VIII Corps of the Ottoman Empire was one of the corps of the Ottoman Army. It was formed in the early 20th century during Ottoman military reforms.- Order of Battle, 1911 :...
. After Kress von Kressenstein was appointed the chief of staff of this corps, replacing Ali Fuat, he was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel
Lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel is a rank of commissioned officer in the armies and most marine forces and some air forces of the world, typically ranking above a major and below a colonel. The rank of lieutenant colonel is often shortened to simply "colonel" in conversation and in unofficial correspondence...
(Kaymakam) and on September 19, he was appointed to the commander of the 25th Division. In January 1915, he participated in First Suez Offensive
First Suez Offensive
The First Suez Offensive took place between the Ottoman Empire and the British Empire in the Sinai and Palestine Campaign of World War I...
. On January 7, he and his division left Birüssebi (present day: Beersheba
Beersheba
Beersheba is the largest city in the Negev desert of southern Israel. Often referred to as the "Capital of the Negev", it is the seventh-largest city in Israel with a population of 194,300....
) for the desert and arrived at the front of the Suez Canal
Suez Canal
The Suez Canal , also known by the nickname "The Highway to India", is an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt, connecting the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea. Opened in November 1869 after 10 years of construction work, it allows water transportation between Europe and Asia without navigation...
. But the Ottoman forces couldn't pass the canal and retreated. He and his division went back to Gaza
Gaza
Gaza , also referred to as Gaza City, is a Palestinian city in the Gaza Strip, with a population of about 450,000, making it the largest city in the Palestinian territories.Inhabited since at least the 15th century BC,...
on January 20, 1915.
After the Gallipoli Campaign was launched, the 25th Division was dispatched to the Gallipoli Front on May 24, 1915 and started to arrive there on June 2, 1916. His division entered to the order of the XVII Corps
XVII Corps (Ottoman Empire)
The XVII Corps of the Ottoman Empire was one of the corps of the Ottoman Army. It was formed during the World War I.- Order of Battle, October 17, 1912 :...
of the First Army
First Army (Ottoman Empire)
The First Army or First Guards Army of the Ottoman Empire was one of the field armies of the Ottoman Army. It was formed in the middle 19th century during Ottoman military reforms....
and deployed in Bulair
Bulair
Bolayır is a town in the Gelibolu district of Çanakkale Province, situated on the Gallipoli Peninsula in the European part of Turkey.The settlement was formerly a village. It received in 1958 the status of a town...
-Saros
Saros
Saros, Şaroş or Sáros may refer to:* Saros , an 18-year period, across which lunar and solar eclipses repeat* Saros , an American band* Saros , descendants of free slaves from Sierra Leone who migrated to Nigeria...
areas.
On January 20, 1916, he was appointed to the commander of the 14th Division. At first his division was planned to be used in Second Suez Offensive and sent to Maallaha. But because of Russian offensive, his division entered to the command of the Seconde Army
Second Army (Ottoman Empire)
The Second Army of the Ottoman Empire was one of the field armies of the Ottoman Army. It was formed in the late 19th century during Ottoman military reforms.- Order of Battle, 1877:In 1877, it was stationed in what is now Bulgaria...
under the command of Ahmet İzzet Pasha, on June 27, sent back from the Rayak
Rayak (Riyaq)
Riyaq , also Rayak, is a Lebanese town in the Beqaa Mohafazat , near the city of Zahlé. It has one military airport, an old train station on the former line from Beirut to Damascus, and a hospital....
station to Aleppo
Aleppo
Aleppo is the largest city in Syria and the capital of Aleppo Governorate, the most populous Syrian governorate. With an official population of 2,301,570 , expanding to over 2.5 million in the metropolitan area, it is also one of the largest cities in the Levant...
and dispatched to Diyârbekir
Diyarbakır
Diyarbakır is one of the largest cities in southeastern Turkey...
.
On September 30 to the commander of the 5th Division and in January he became the chief of staff of the Seconde Army
Second Army (Ottoman Empire)
The Second Army of the Ottoman Empire was one of the field armies of the Ottoman Army. It was formed in the late 19th century during Ottoman military reforms.- Order of Battle, 1877:In 1877, it was stationed in what is now Bulgaria...
.
On January 12, 1917, he returned to the Sina-Palestine Front and in April he became the deputy commander of the Sina-Palestine Front. On June 30, 1917, he became the commander of the XX Corps
XX Corps (Ottoman Empire)
The XX Corps of the Ottoman Empire was one of the corps of the Ottoman Army. It was formed during the World War I.- Order of Battle, December 1916 :In December 1916, the corps was structured as follows:...
. After the Armistice of Mudros
Armistice of Mudros
The Armistice of Moudros , concluded on 30 October 1918, ended the hostilities in the Middle Eastern theatre between the Ottoman Empire and the Allies of World War I...
was signed, he concurrently became the deputy commander of Seventh Army
Seventh Army (Ottoman Empire)
The Ottoman Seventh Army was a large military formation of Ottoman Empire in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Although designated as an army, at least by 1918, it was only of corps strength....
, replacing Mustafa Kemal
Mustafa Kemal Atatürk
Mustafa Kemal Atatürk was an Ottoman and Turkish army officer, revolutionary statesman, writer, and the first President of Turkey. He is credited with being the founder of the Republic of Turkey....
. After the Seventh Army was abolished, he transferred the headquarters of XX Corps from Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
to Ereğli, then to Konya
Konya
Konya is a city in the Central Anatolia Region of Turkey. The metropolitan area in the entire Konya Province had a population of 1,036,027 as of 2010, making the city seventh most populous in Turkey.-Etymology:...
and to Ankara
Ankara
Ankara is the capital of Turkey and the country's second largest city after Istanbul. The city has a mean elevation of , and as of 2010 the metropolitan area in the entire Ankara Province had a population of 4.4 million....
.
War of Independence
Ali Fuat Pasha organized the resistance in Western Turkey against the Greek invasion and thus actually started the National Independence WarTurkish War of Independence
The Turkish War of Independence was a war of independence waged by Turkish nationalists against the Allies, after the country was partitioned by the Allies following the Ottoman Empire's defeat in World War I...
. He contributed to the resistance forces against the Greek
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
army that had begun to occupy Western Anatolia
Anatolia
Anatolia is a geographic and historical term denoting the westernmost protrusion of Asia, comprising the majority of the Republic of Turkey...
. He signed Amasya Protocol and at the end of the Sivas Congress in 1920, he was appointed as the general commander of the National Forces by the Board of Representatives. The presence of him and his army in Ankara is the reason behind Atatürk's choice of this city as the center of Turkish War of Independence.
The same year, he was elected as a deputy at the First Parliament. He was appointed ambassador to Moscow, Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
in 1921, as he had quarrels with Ismet Inonu
Ismet Inönü
Mustafa İsmet İnönü was a Turkish Army General, Prime Minister and the second President of Turkey. In 1938, the Republican People's Party gave him the title of "Milli Şef" .-Family and early life:...
, who was appointed by Atatürk as the Commander of the Western Front although Inonu had failed against Greek invasion at Kutahya-Altıntas in 1921. By personally negotiating with Vladimir Lenin
Vladimir Lenin
Vladimir Ilyich Lenin was a Russian Marxist revolutionary and communist politician who led the October Revolution of 1917. As leader of the Bolsheviks, he headed the Soviet state during its initial years , as it fought to establish control of Russia in the Russian Civil War and worked to create a...
and Joseph Stalin
Joseph Stalin
Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin was the Premier of the Soviet Union from 6 May 1941 to 5 March 1953. He was among the Bolshevik revolutionaries who brought about the October Revolution and had held the position of first General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union's Central Committee...
in Moscow, he signed the Treaty of Moscow (1921)
Treaty of Moscow (1921)
The Treaty of Moscow or Treaty of Brotherhood was a friendship treaty between the Grand National Assembly of Turkey under the leadership of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk and Bolshevist Russia under the leadership of Vladimir Lenin, signed on 16 March 1921...
along the lines of the Brest-Litovsk Peace Treaty as the representative of the Ankara
Ankara
Ankara is the capital of Turkey and the country's second largest city after Istanbul. The city has a mean elevation of , and as of 2010 the metropolitan area in the entire Ankara Province had a population of 4.4 million....
government, which provided financial and military support from the Soviet Union to the Turkish Independence War, in exchange for the return of Batum back to Soviet Union. After finishing his duty as an ambassador, he was elected as the second spokesman of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey
Grand National Assembly of Turkey
The Grand National Assembly of Turkey , usually referred to simply as the Meclis , is the unicameral Turkish legislature. It is the sole body given the legislative prerogatives by the Turkish Constitution. It was founded in Ankara on 23 April 1920 in the midst of the Turkish War of Independence...
.
Political life
After the declaration of the Republic, he became a deputy. In this new era of his political career, he joined the founders of the opposition party, the Progressive Republican PartyProgressive Republican Party
The Progressive Republican Party was the second political party after Republican People's Party in Turkey. It was established by Ali Fuat Cebesoy, Kâzım Karabekir, Refet Bele, Rauf Orbay and Adnan Adıvar on 17 October 1924...
, and he was elected as the general secretary of the party in 1924. During the rebellion of Şeyh Sait, the Law on the Maintenance of Order was affected and the Progressive Republican Party was closed down. Ali Fuat Cebesoy was arrested with the accusations of participating in the attempt of assassination against Atatürk and was taken to İzmir
Izmir
Izmir is a large metropolis in the western extremity of Anatolia. The metropolitan area in the entire Izmir Province had a population of 3.35 million as of 2010, making the city third most populous in Turkey...
. He was tried at the İzmir Independence Court
Independence Court
The Independence Courts were eight special courts founded during the Turkish War of Independence to prosecute those who were against the system of the government. They were located in Ankara, Eskişehir, Konya, Isparta, Sivas, Kastamonu, Pozantı, and Diyarbakır...
and was acquitted in 1926.
He retired with the title of general. He stayed away from politics for four years between 1927 and 1931). In 1931, he returned to politics and elected as a deputy from Konya
Konya
Konya is a city in the Central Anatolia Region of Turkey. The metropolitan area in the entire Konya Province had a population of 1,036,027 as of 2010, making the city seventh most populous in Turkey.-Etymology:...
. He served as the deputy of Konya and Eskişehir
Eskisehir
Eskişehir is a city in northwestern Turkey and the capital of the Eskişehir Province. According to the 2009 census, the population of the city is 631,905. The city is located on the banks of the Porsuk River, 792 m above sea level, where it overlooks the fertile Phrygian Valley. In the nearby...
until 1950. He also served as Minister of Public Works from 1939 to 1943, Minister of Transportation (1943–1946) and as the president of the Parliament in 1948. He was an independent candidate of the Democratic Party
Democratic Party (Turkey)
Democratic Party may refer to:* Democratic Party , current party* Democratic Party a historical party * Democratic Party a historical party...
from Eskişehir
Eskisehir
Eskişehir is a city in northwestern Turkey and the capital of the Eskişehir Province. According to the 2009 census, the population of the city is 631,905. The city is located on the banks of the Porsuk River, 792 m above sea level, where it overlooks the fertile Phrygian Valley. In the nearby...
in the first democratic elections of the Turkish history held on May 14, 1950 and he was elected with a landslide. In the following years, he was elected as a deputy from İstanbul and served in the parliament for ten more years between 1950 and 1960. After the military coup on May 27, 1960, he was initially arrested by the junta with the rest of the Democratic Party MPs but later set free. After this experience he quit politics for good.
In accordance with his will, he was buried to the backyard of a mosque near Geyve
Geyve
Geyve is a town and a district of Sakarya Province in the Marmara region of Turkey. The mayor is Murat Kaya ....
train station, where the first shots of the Turkish War of Independence
Turkish War of Independence
The Turkish War of Independence was a war of independence waged by Turkish nationalists against the Allies, after the country was partitioned by the Allies following the Ottoman Empire's defeat in World War I...
were fired, when he died at the age of 86. However, his remains were moved to the Turkish State Cemetery
Turkish State Cemetery
Turkish State Cemetery is a national and military cemetery in Ankara, Turkey, containing the graves of the presidents of Turkey and the high-ranked, close companions-in-arms of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder of the Republic of Turkey, in the Turkish War of Independence.- History :The cemetery...
in Ankara, after the military coup of 1980.