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Recep Peker

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Recep Peker
6th Prime Minister of Turkey
In office
7 August 1946 – 10 September 1947
Presidentİsmet İnönü
Preceded byŞükrü Saraçoğlu
Succeeded byHasan Saka
Minister of the Interior
In office
17 August 1942 – 20 May 1943
Prime MinisterŞükrü Saracoğlu
Preceded byAhmet Fikri Tüzer
Succeeded byHilmi Uran
In office
21 May 1924 – 5 January 1925
Prime MinisterFethi Okyar
Preceded byAhmet Ferit Tek
Succeeded byMehmet Cemil Uybadın
Minister of National Education
In office
7 April 1929 – 10 April 1929
Prime Ministerİsmet İnönü
Preceded byHüseyin Vasıf Çınar
Succeeded byCemal Hüsnü Taray
Minister of Public Works
In office
15 October 1928 – 27 September 1930
Prime Ministerİsmet İnönü
Preceded byBehiç Erkin
Succeeded byZekai Apaydın
Minister of National Defense
In office
4 March 1925 – 1 November 1927
Prime Ministerİsmet İnönü
Preceded byFethi Okyar
Succeeded byAbdülhalik Renda
Minister of Finance
In office
21 May 1924 – 22 November 1924
Prime Ministerİsmet İnönü
Preceded byAbdülhalik Renda
Succeeded byAbdülhalik Renda
Member of the Grand National Assembly
In office
28 June 1923 – 1 April 1950
ConstituencyKütahya (1923, 1927, 1931, 1935, 1939, 1943, 1946)
Personal details
Born
Mehmet Recep

(1889-02-05)5 February 1889
Istanbul, Ottoman Empire
Died1 April 1950(1950-04-01) (aged 61)
Istanbul, Turkey
Resting placeEdirnekapı Martyr's Cemetery, Istanbul
Political partyRepublican People's Party (CHP)
Alma materOttoman Military Academy
Ottoman Military College
OccupationArmy officer, politician

Mehmet Recep Peker (Turkish pronunciation: [mehˈmet ɾeˈdʒep peˈcæɾ]; 5 February 1889 – 1 April 1950) was a Turkish military officer and politician. A pragmatic modernist,[1] he served in various ministerial posts and finally as the Prime Minister of Turkey between 1946 and 1947.

Early life

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Born in Istanbul on 5 February 1889, his father was named Mustafa and was of Lezgi descent,[2] migrated to Anatolia from the Dagestan region of the Caucasus.

He studied at the Military College following his graduation from the Kuleli Military High School, where he enrolled after completing his primary and secondary education at Koca Mustafa Pasha Primary School and Military Middle School. After finishing the academy in the rank of a lieutenant in 1907, he was assigned to the staff officer class.

Recep Peker took part at the battles of Yemen[3] and Libya, Balkan Wars, Thrace and Caucasus campaigns of the World War I. He graduated in 1919, as the first of his class, from the Staff College to which he entered in 1911.

At the second half of 1919, he served as assistant teacher of history of war at the Military Academy. He joined on 4 February 1920, the Turkish War of Independence in Anatolia as a squadron leader.

Politics

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He was appointed secretary general of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey on 23 April 1920, the day the parliament was opened. He served in this position more than three years.

In the time between his appointment as the parliament's secretary general until the Battle of Sakarya, he served in addition as the chief of Second Branch Office at the General Staff. On 12 July 1923, he was re-elected into the parliament as the deputy from Kütahya.

He was the Minister of Finance between 6 March and 22 November 1924, and Minister of Interior and on commission the Minister of Barter and Minister of Development and Housing. Peker was appointed as the Minister of National Defence on 4 March 1926, and the Minister of Public Works in 1927. He was elected the parliamentary group spokesman and secretary general of the Republican People's Party (CHP) in 1928.

Recep Peker initiated the introduction of the "History of the Revolution" in the school curricula. He taught Republican Ideology at universities in Ankara and Istanbul in the academic year 1933-1934. His classes were known as revolution lessons (İnkılap Dersleri).[4] He wrote a book about it.[5][6] He supported the idea that women should be liberated from the sack (the veil) and that the Arabic alphabet should be replaced by a Latin based alphabet.[4]

On 17 August 1942, he was appointed Minister of Interior in the cabinet of Şükrü Saracoğlu serving nine months. Recep Peker became the first prime minister of the multi-party period on 7 August 1946, however Peker was a strong advocate of statism and the authoritarian one-party state. As prime minister, he opposed democratization and the introduction of the multi-party system. He served in this position until 7 September 1947. In 1948, he retired from political life.

Recep Peker died on 2 April 1950, and was laid to rest at the Edirnekapı Martyr's Cemetery in Istanbul.

References

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  1. ^ Uzer, Umut (2016). An Intellectual History of Turkish Nationalism. The University of Utah Press. ISBN 978-1607814658.
  2. ^ Özakman, Turgut; Nur, Rıza (1995-01-01). Dr. Rıza Nur dosyası (in Turkish). Bilgi yayınevi. ISBN 9789754945157.
  3. ^ Özkaya, Ahmet. Recep Peker'in Kişiliği ve İdeolojilere Bakışı
  4. ^ a b Uzer, Umut (2016). An Intellectual History of Turkish Nationalism. The University of Utah Press. ISBN 978-1607814658.
  5. ^ İnkılap Dersleri (in Turkish).
  6. ^ İnkılap Dersleri (PDF) (in Turkish). Retrieved 2024-07-04.
  • Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the General Directorate of Cultural Heritages and Museums
Political offices
Preceded by Prime Minister of Turkey
7 August 1946 – 10 September 1947 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Minister of the Interior
17 August 1942 – 20 May 1943 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Minister of National Education
7 April 1929 – 10 April 1929 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Minister of Public Works
15 October 1928 – 27 September 1930 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Minister of National Defense
4 March 1925 – 1 November 1927 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Minister of the Interior
21 May 1924 – 5 January 1925 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Minister of Finance
21 May 1924 – 22 November 1924 		Succeeded by
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