Kâzım Özalp
Speaker of the Parliament of Turkey
In office
26 November 1924 – 1 March 1935
PresidentMustafa Kemal Atatürk
Prime Ministerİsmet İnönü
Preceded byAli Fethi Okyar
Succeeded byMustafa Abdülhalik Renda
Minister of National Defense
In office
1 March 1935 – 18 January 1939
PresidentMustafa Kemal Atatürk
İsmet İnönü
Prime Ministerİsmet İnönü
Celal Bayar
Preceded byZekai Apaydın
Succeeded byAhmet Naci Tınaz
In office
10 January 1922 – 21 November 1924
PresidentMustafa Kemal Atatürk
Prime MinisterRauf Orbay
İsmet İnönü
Preceded byRefet Bele
Succeeded byAli Fethi Okyar
Personal details
Born
Kâzım Fikri

17 February 1882 (1882-02-17)
Köprülü (Veles), Kosovo Vilayet, Ottoman Empire
Died6 June 1968 (1968-06-07) (aged 86)
Ankara, Turkey
Political partyRepublican People's Party
NicknameKâzım Köprülü
Military service
Allegiance
RankGeneral
CommandsVan Gendarmerie Regiment, Van Mobile Gendarmerie Division, 36th Division, 37th Caucasian Division, VI Corps (deputy), 60th Division, 61st Division, XIV Corps (deputy), Kocaeli Area Command, III Corps, Minister of National Defense
Battles/wars

Kâzım Özalp (17 February 1882[1] – 6 June 1968) was a Turkish military officer of Albanian descent, politician, and one of the leading figures in the Turkish War of Independence.

Biography

Kazım Özalp is leaving the Dolmabahçe Palace with Mustafa Kemal Atatürk

Born in Köprülü (now Veles, North Macedonia), in the Kosovo Vilayet of the Ottoman Empire into an Albanian family, Kâzım Fikri graduated from the Ottoman Military College in 1902 and completed the College of War in 1905.[2] Kâzım Özalp was involved in the 31 March Incident in 1909. He was a military commander of the Ottoman forces during the Balkan Wars. In 1917, he was promoted to the rank of the colonel during World War I. He was one of the military commanders who organized resistance groups against the occupation of Izmir by Greek forces. During the Turkish War of Independence, he fought at several fronts. In 1921, Kâzım Özalp was promoted to the rank General for his success at the Battle of Sakarya. After the Kurdish Sheikh Said Rebellion was subdued, he contributed to the Report for Reform of the East, which advised to establish Inspectorates General in the eastern provinces of Turkey and crush the Kurdish elite in the region.[3]

Already a member of the first term of the parliament of the newly established Republic as an MP from Balıkesir Province, Kâzım Fikri served as the Minister of Defense in several cabinets from 1921 to 1925, and later from 1935 to 1939. He was elected Speaker of the Turkish Grand National Assembly from 1924 to 1935. In 1950, he was elected to the parliament as an MP from Van Province.[4] He retired from active politics in 1954. He was rumored to have been a Bektashi possibly because of his opposition to the decision to close Bektashi centers (Tekke).[4]

Kâzım Özalp wrote his memoirs in his book Milli Mücadele ("National Warfare"). He died on 6 June 1968 in Ankara. His remains were transferred to the Turkish State Cemetery.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Özalp, Kâzım (1988). Millı̂ Mücadele, 1919-1922 (in Turkish). Türk Tarih Kurumu Basımevi.
  2. ↑ Gingeras, Ryan (2009). Sorrowful Shores. Oxford University Press. p. 83. ISBN 978-0-19-160979-4.
  3. ↑ Üngör, Ugur Ümit (2011). The Making of Modern Turkey: Nation and State in Eastern Anatolia, 1913-1950. OUP Oxford. pp. 133–135. ISBN 978-0-19-960360-2.
  4. 1 2 Küçük, Hülya (2002). The role of the Bektāshīs in Turkey's national struggle. BRILL. p. 289. ISBN 90-04-12443-8.
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