Ali Këlcyra
Encyclopedia
Ali Këlcyra was an Albanian
lord (bey), a member of the Albanian parliament in the '20s co-founder with Mit’hat Frashëri of the Balli Kombëtar
organization in 1942, and the cosigner of the Dalmazzo-Këlcyra agreement.
in 28 May 1891. He went to grammar school in Këlcyrë and then graduated from the Galatasaray High School in Istanbul
, Turkey
(then Ottoman Empire
). He then studied in the Mülkiye school in Istanbul, for political and administrative sciences.
After the beginning of World War I
he returned to Këlcyrë. During the Greek Invasion of Albania in 1914 he went to Vlorë
along with other emigrants. He met there with Prince Von Wied and the princess Sophie
who had come to visit the emigrants. He left the country to go to San Demetrio Corone
, an Arbëreshë
settlement in Calabria
, Italy
.
. He started there to embrace the social democracy
ideas, and befriended with Avni Rustemi and Stavro Vinjau. He returned to Albania one year later and along with Themistokli Gërmenji
and others endeavored to create Albanian guerrillas to fight for Albanian freedom in World War I
.
expelled him from the Italian hels territories.
Kelcyra participated in the Congress of Lushnje
, and was elected a member of Parliament in the Albanian Parliament as a deputy of the Gjirokastër
prefecture. In the first seance of the parliament he asked that all the members of the parliament that have the "bey" title be taken that title away by law.
, Italy the Bashkomb organization, where he was elected president. One year later a trial of political investigations in Tirana
accused him of “propaganda against the Albanian state, against the Albanian government and against the head of the Albanian Republic". In the official government paper was published his condemnation to death and the confiscation of his personal wealth.
During his stay in Paris
, Ali Këlcyra wrote on Le Quotidien
, and Le Matin
to report on the situation in Albania and on the pro-fascist politics of Ahmet Zogu.
organization.
In 1944 Kelcyra made an appeal to the Albanian communists to give up civil war. He also tried to seminate the idea of a National Front to avoid civil war.
In November 1944 Kelcyra went to Bari with his family.
Albanians
Albanians are a nation and ethnic group native to Albania and neighbouring countries. They speak the Albanian language. More than half of all Albanians live in Albania and Kosovo...
lord (bey), a member of the Albanian parliament in the '20s co-founder with Mit’hat Frashëri of the Balli Kombëtar
Balli Kombëtar
Balli Kombëtar was an Albanian nationalist, anti-communist and anti-monarchy organization established in October 1939. It was led by Ali Këlcyra and Mit’hat Frashëri...
organization in 1942, and the cosigner of the Dalmazzo-Këlcyra agreement.
Early life
Këlcyra was born in KëlcyrëKëlcyrë
Këlcyrë is a municipality in the Përmet District, southern Albania, located on the bank of the river Vjosë. The municipality consists of the town Këlcyrë and the villages Fshat Këlcyrë, Mbrezhdan, Maleshovë, Limar, Leskaj and Kala...
in 28 May 1891. He went to grammar school in Këlcyrë and then graduated from the Galatasaray High School in Istanbul
Istanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
, Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
(then Ottoman Empire
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
). He then studied in the Mülkiye school in Istanbul, for political and administrative sciences.
After the beginning of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
he returned to Këlcyrë. During the Greek Invasion of Albania in 1914 he went to Vlorë
Vlorë
Vlorë is one of the biggest towns and the second largest port city of Albania, after Durrës, with a population of about 94,000 . It is the city where the Albanian Declaration of Independence was proclaimed on November 28, 1912...
along with other emigrants. He met there with Prince Von Wied and the princess Sophie
Princess Sophie of Schönburg-Waldenburg
Princess Sophie Helene Cecilie of Schönburg-Waldenburg was the wife of Prince William of Wied. With her husband's ascension to the Albanian throne she became the Princess of Albania .-Family and marriage:...
who had come to visit the emigrants. He left the country to go to San Demetrio Corone
San Demetrio Corone
San Demetrio Corone is a town and comune in the province of Cosenza in the Calabria region of southern Italy. It is notable for the Collegio of Sant'Adriano, a boarding school which produced many patriots and theorists/revolutionaries in the Italian Independence wars-Geography:The village is...
, an Arbëreshë
Arbëreshë
The Arbëreshë are a linguistic and ethnic Albanian minority community living in southern Italy, especially the regions of Apulia, Basilicata, Molise, Calabria and Sicily...
settlement in Calabria
Calabria
Calabria , in antiquity known as Bruttium, is a region in southern Italy, south of Naples, located at the "toe" of the Italian Peninsula. The capital city of Calabria is Catanzaro....
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
.
Social Democrat
In 1915 he enrolled at the Faculty of Jurisprudence in La Sapienza University of RomeRome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
. He started there to embrace the social democracy
Social democracy
Social democracy is a political ideology of the center-left on the political spectrum. Social democracy is officially a form of evolutionary reformist socialism. It supports class collaboration as the course to achieve socialism...
ideas, and befriended with Avni Rustemi and Stavro Vinjau. He returned to Albania one year later and along with Themistokli Gërmenji
Themistokli Gërmenji
Themistokli Gërmenji was one of the activists of the Albanian National Awakening, the leader of the Albanian irregulars from 1909 to 1914, and the prefect of police of Autonomous Albanian Republic of Korçë from 1916 to 1917.- Biography :...
and others endeavored to create Albanian guerrillas to fight for Albanian freedom in World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
.
First Return to Albania
In 1918 he went to Vlorë and participated in the creation of the “National Defense” organization. The organization had decided to fight the Italian invadors that were holding Albanian territories under the secret Treaty of London (1915). As a result, the Italian Command under Settimo PiacentiniSettimo Piacentini
Settimio Piacentini was an Italian General of the Kingdom of Italy who actively participated in the World War I, especially in the Sixth and Seventh Battle of the Isonzo....
expelled him from the Italian hels territories.
Kelcyra participated in the Congress of Lushnje
Congress of Lushnjë
The Congress of Lushnjë was held in five sessions on January 27-January 31, 1920 in Lushnjë, Albania by Albanian nationalists and had as its goal the study of the Albanian situation and the measures to be adopted in order to save Albania from being partitioned among other countries after World War I...
, and was elected a member of Parliament in the Albanian Parliament as a deputy of the Gjirokastër
Gjirokastër
Gjirokastër is a city in southern Albania with a population of 43,000. Lying in the historical region of Epirus, it is the capital of both the Gjirokastër District and the larger Gjirokastër County...
prefecture. In the first seance of the parliament he asked that all the members of the parliament that have the "bey" title be taken that title away by law.
Leaving the country of the Noli Revolution
The Noli Revolution saw Ali Kelcyra leave again the country for another 15 years. In 1925 he founded in BariBari
Bari is the capital city of the province of Bari and of the Apulia region, on the Adriatic Sea, in Italy. It is the second most important economic centre of mainland Southern Italy after Naples, and is well known as a port and university city, as well as the city of Saint Nicholas...
, Italy the Bashkomb organization, where he was elected president. One year later a trial of political investigations in Tirana
Tirana
Tirana is the capital and the largest city of Albania. Modern Tirana was founded as an Ottoman town in 1614 by Sulejman Bargjini, a local ruler from Mullet, although the area has been continuously inhabited since antiquity. Tirana became Albania's capital city in 1920 and has a population of over...
accused him of “propaganda against the Albanian state, against the Albanian government and against the head of the Albanian Republic". In the official government paper was published his condemnation to death and the confiscation of his personal wealth.
During his stay in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, Ali Këlcyra wrote on Le Quotidien
Le Quotidien
Le Quotidien is a daily newspaper in Saguenay, Quebec. The paper is owned by Power Corporation's Gesca division.-External links:*...
, and Le Matin
Le Matin (France)
Le Matin was a French daily newspaper created in 1883 and discontinued in 1944.Le Matin was launched on the initiative of Chamberlain & Co, a group of American financiers, in 1883, on the model of the British daily The Morning News. The direction of the project was entrusted to the French...
to report on the situation in Albania and on the pro-fascist politics of Ahmet Zogu.
Second Return to Albania
In 1939 he returned to Albania and in 1942, along with Mehdi Frashëri he co-founded the Balli KombëtarBalli Kombëtar
Balli Kombëtar was an Albanian nationalist, anti-communist and anti-monarchy organization established in October 1939. It was led by Ali Këlcyra and Mit’hat Frashëri...
organization.
Dalmazzo-Këlcyra protocol
On 5 March 1943 Ali Këlcyra co-signed the Dalmazzo-Këlcyra protocol which had Balli Kombëtar give up war against fascist Italy.In 1944 Kelcyra made an appeal to the Albanian communists to give up civil war. He also tried to seminate the idea of a National Front to avoid civil war.
In November 1944 Kelcyra went to Bari with his family.