Abdülhamit Hamdi Efendi was born in 1887 in Diyarbakır and served as an educator and politician during the final years of the Ottoman Empire and the early years of the Republic. He received his education in sıbyan mektebi, rüştiye, and medrese, earning a license to teach as a müderris. In Diyarbakır he taught Turkish Arabic Persian religion literature and philosophy in various schools. Between 1909 and 1914 he served as Chief Clerk of the Şer’iye Court and acted as qadi on two occasions. In 1920 he was elected as a deputy from Diyarbakır to the First Term of the Grand National Assembly of Türkiye where he worked on the Committees of Justice Education Religious Affairs and Endowments signed proposals during the war period and served as a member of the Amasya Independence Tribunal. He supported the proposal to grant Mustafa Kemal Pasha the title of Gazi and the rank of Müşir and opposed the British proposal to grant Kurds minority status at the Lausanne Conference. After his parliamentary term he worked as an Arabic teacher at Diyarbakır High School retired in 1926 and died in 1928. He was awarded the Red-Green Ribbon Independence Medal and after his death his family adopted the surnames Bilecen and Çintan. Abdülhamit Hamdi Efendi who was fluent in Arabic and Persian married and the father of five children was noted for his activities in education and politics.

Early Life and Educational Career

Abdülhamit Hamdi Efendi was born in 1887 in Diyarbakır as the son of Ali Bey and Emiş Hanım. He completed his primary and secondary education in sıbyan mektebi and rüştiye and subsequently received medrese education earning a license to teach as a müderris. He began his career as an educator on 13 September 1904 as head teacher at Burhan-i Terakki ve İptidai Mektebi. On 17 May 1905 he became a Persian language teacher at Askeri Rüştiye. From 14 December 1906 he taught Turkish at İdadi. From 20 January 1909 to 20 May 1914 he served as Chief Clerk of the Diyarbakır Şer’iye Court and acted as qadi twice during this period. On 21 January 1914 he returned to the Ministry of Education teaching Arabic Turkish and religion at Sultani and for a time also taught literature philosophy and Persian. Later he assumed the position of Deputy Director of Numune Mektebi.

Political Career and the First Term of the TBMM

In the 1920 general elections Abdülhamit Hamdi Efendi was elected as deputy from Diyarbakır with 103 votes and his credentials were confirmed on 5 June 1920. He joined the First Group in the First Term of the Grand National Assembly of Türkiye and served on the Committees of Justice Education Religious Affairs and Endowments. He contributed to parliamentary activities by participating in various proposals. On 24 May 1920 he submitted a proposal together with a group of deputies requesting the government to provide information on the situation at the war fronts and to send support to the fighting forces. On 19 September 1921 he joined 62 other deputies in submitting a bill to grant Mustafa Kemal Pasha the title of Gazi and the rank of Müşir following the Battle of Sakarya. The bill was adopted by vote. On 18 October 1922 he signed a proposal suggesting the relocation of the Assembly to another city due to housing difficulties and poor conditions in Ankara but the proposal was rejected on the grounds that a suitable atmosphere could not be ensured.

The Lausanne Conference and the Kurdish Issue

At the Lausanne Conference Abdülhamit Hamdi Efendi opposed the British proposal to grant Kurds minority status. In the Assembly he conveyed to the Presidency his view that Kurds had fought alongside Turks for the homeland and that no power could separate them from Türkiye.

Independence Tribunals and Later Years

In addition to his parliamentary duties Abdülhamit Hamdi Efendi served on the Independence Tribunals. On 17 August 1922 he was elected as a member of the Amasya Independence Tribunal with 91 votes. After the end of his parliamentary term he returned to Diyarbakır. On 17 September 1923 he was appointed as an Arabic teacher at Diyarbakır High School and held this position until 1 September 1926 when he retired. He was awarded the Red-Green Ribbon Independence Medal by the Second Term of the TBMM for his service on the Independence Tribunals during the First Term.

Personal Information and Surname

Abdülhamit Hamdi Efendi was fluent in Arabic and Persian married and the father of five children. In Assembly records his name appears as Hamdi while the official population registry of Diyarbakır Directorate of Population dated 12 October 1965 records him as Abdülhamit Hamdi. After his death his family adopted the surnames Bilecen and Çintan. In Mahmut Goloğlu’s work Üçüncü Meşrutiyet his surname is listed as Bilecen while records from the Central Population Administration System (MERNİS) show that his brother and one of his sons carried the surname Çintan. Abdülhamit Hamdi Efendi died in March 1928.