Nuri Berköz
Encyclopedia
M. Nuri Berköz was born in Shaki, Azerbaijan in 1889. After completing his primary education in the local Russian-Tatar School, (educational institutions which are considered to have contributed to the rise of modern Azerbaijani intelligentsia) his father decided to immigrate to Ottoman Turkey with his family in early twentieth century. Upon the death of his father a while after their arrival at Bursa
, he and his younger brother Mahmud first enrolled with the Bursa Military Junior High School (Bursa Askerî Rüştiyesi ), then Bursa Military High School (today Işıklar Military Air Force High School, Işıklar Askerî Hava Lisesi ).
After graduating from Işıklar, he was admitted in 1909 to the Ottoman Military Academy in Istanbul, and graduated from this distinguished institution as a young infantry lieutenant in 1912.
At the outset of the First World War, he was first sent to the eastern front to join the Second Caucasus Corps. As he spoke fluent Russian, however, after a while it was considered more appropriate to employ his capabilities not at the battlefront, but elsewhere. He was first sent to Iranian Azerbaijan on a special mission, then in 1916, to Denmark and Sweden. Between 1917-18, during the revolution years in Russia, he was stationed in Saint Petersburg
(then Petrograd) and later in Moscow as a member of the special commission dispatched for the exchange of Ottoman-Russian Prisoners of War.
When the First World War ended, he returned to Turkey (being raised to the rank of Captain) and enrolled with the Ottoman Military College
in Istanbul in 1919. As the Turkish War of Independence
started, he and his brother Mahmud interrupted their education at the Military College and rushed to Anatolia
to join Mustafa Kemal Atatürk's forces.
During the Independence War, he served on the western front. After the victory, he completed the remaining part of his education at the War College and graduated as a Staff Officer with the rank of Major. In 1930 he was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel and between 1932-1933 served in Geneva, Switzerland as the military adviser to the Turkish delegation attending to the first World Disarmament Conference organized by the League of Nations
. In 1933, he was promoted to the rank of Colonel and was chosen to accompany the Soviet delegation (which included Marshall Kliment Voroshilov
and Marshall Semyon Budyonny
invited to attend the 10th anniversary celebrations of the young Turkish Republic.
In 1935, he attended military maneuvers in Kiev, Ukraine as the chief of staff of the Turkish Military Delegation and between 1936-1937 was sent to Moscow as the Turkish Military Attaché. Over all these years, he knew many prominent Soviet military and political figures of that period in person.
He was promoted to the rank of Brigadier General in 1939 and to the rank of Major General in 1941. During the Second World War period, he served as a division commander for four years on the eastern border of Turkey. He was promoted to the rank of Lt. General in 1946. In 1947, he became the Operational Deputy Chief of the Turkish General Staff. When he retired in 1950, he was the General Commander of Gendarmerie. Lt. General Berköz died in 1975. His decorations included War Medal, Silver Order of Merit, Medal of Independence (Istiklal Madalyasi) etc.
Besides Russian, he spoke French and some Swedish. Along his military career, he was also deeply interested in history, Russian literature
and Turkic languages
. Because of his interest in Turkic languages, he was invited to join the special committee set by Turkish Language Association
to translate Edouard K. Pekarski's Yakut-Russian dictionary into Turkish. Apart from this, he authored and translated from Russian a number of military books and wrote newspaper articles on military and strategic issues.
Bursa, Turkey
Bursa is a city in northwestern Turkey and the seat of Bursa Province. The metropolitan area in the entire Bursa province had a population of 2.6 million as of 2010, making the city fourth most populous in Turkey. The city is equally one of the most industrialized metropolitan centers in the...
, he and his younger brother Mahmud first enrolled with the Bursa Military Junior High School (Bursa Askerî Rüştiyesi ), then Bursa Military High School (today Işıklar Military Air Force High School, Işıklar Askerî Hava Lisesi ).
After graduating from Işıklar, he was admitted in 1909 to the Ottoman Military Academy in Istanbul, and graduated from this distinguished institution as a young infantry lieutenant in 1912.
At the outset of the First World War, he was first sent to the eastern front to join the Second Caucasus Corps. As he spoke fluent Russian, however, after a while it was considered more appropriate to employ his capabilities not at the battlefront, but elsewhere. He was first sent to Iranian Azerbaijan on a special mission, then in 1916, to Denmark and Sweden. Between 1917-18, during the revolution years in Russia, he was stationed in Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea...
(then Petrograd) and later in Moscow as a member of the special commission dispatched for the exchange of Ottoman-Russian Prisoners of War.
When the First World War ended, he returned to Turkey (being raised to the rank of Captain) and enrolled with the Ottoman Military College
Ottoman Military College
The Ottoman Military College or Ottoman Military Staff College or Ottoman War Academy, was a two year military staff college of the Ottoman Empire. It was located in Constantinople...
in Istanbul in 1919. As 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...
started, he and his brother Mahmud interrupted their education at the Military College and rushed to Anatolia
Anatolia
Anatolia is a geographic and historical term denoting the westernmost protrusion of Asia, comprising the majority of the Republic of Turkey...
to join Mustafa Kemal Atatürk's forces.
During the Independence War, he served on the western front. After the victory, he completed the remaining part of his education at the War College and graduated as a Staff Officer with the rank of Major. In 1930 he was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel and between 1932-1933 served in Geneva, Switzerland as the military adviser to the Turkish delegation attending to the first World Disarmament Conference organized by the League of Nations
League of Nations
The League of Nations was an intergovernmental organization founded as a result of the Paris Peace Conference that ended the First World War. It was the first permanent international organization whose principal mission was to maintain world peace...
. In 1933, he was promoted to the rank of Colonel and was chosen to accompany the Soviet delegation (which included Marshall Kliment Voroshilov
Kliment Voroshilov
Kliment Yefremovich Voroshilov , popularly known as Klim Voroshilov was a Soviet military officer, politician, and statesman...
and Marshall Semyon Budyonny
Semyon Budyonny
Semyon Mikhailovich Budyonny , sometimes transliterated as Budennyj, Budyonnyy, Budennii, Budenny, Budyoni, Budyenny, or Budenny, was a Soviet cavalryman, military commander, politician and a close ally of Soviet leader Joseph Stalin.-Early life:...
invited to attend the 10th anniversary celebrations of the young Turkish Republic.
In 1935, he attended military maneuvers in Kiev, Ukraine as the chief of staff of the Turkish Military Delegation and between 1936-1937 was sent to Moscow as the Turkish Military Attaché. Over all these years, he knew many prominent Soviet military and political figures of that period in person.
He was promoted to the rank of Brigadier General in 1939 and to the rank of Major General in 1941. During the Second World War period, he served as a division commander for four years on the eastern border of Turkey. He was promoted to the rank of Lt. General in 1946. In 1947, he became the Operational Deputy Chief of the Turkish General Staff. When he retired in 1950, he was the General Commander of Gendarmerie. Lt. General Berköz died in 1975. His decorations included War Medal, Silver Order of Merit, Medal of Independence (Istiklal Madalyasi) etc.
Besides Russian, he spoke French and some Swedish. Along his military career, he was also deeply interested in history, Russian literature
Russian literature
Russian literature refers to the literature of Russia or its émigrés, and to the Russian-language literature of several independent nations once a part of what was historically Russia or the Soviet Union...
and Turkic languages
Turkic languages
The Turkic languages constitute a language family of at least thirty five languages, spoken by Turkic peoples across a vast area from Eastern Europe and the Mediterranean to Siberia and Western China, and are considered to be part of the proposed Altaic language family.Turkic languages are spoken...
. Because of his interest in Turkic languages, he was invited to join the special committee set by Turkish Language Association
Turkish Language Association
The Turkish Language Association is the official regulatory body of the Turkish language, founded on July 12, 1932 and headquartered in Ankara, Turkey...
to translate Edouard K. Pekarski's Yakut-Russian dictionary into Turkish. Apart from this, he authored and translated from Russian a number of military books and wrote newspaper articles on military and strategic issues.