Ali Tevfik Salim Sağlam (1882–1963) served as a physician, military medical officer, academic, and administrator during the Ottoman and Republican periods. A graduate of the Military Medical School, Sağlam held positions at numerous health institutions, including the Gülhane Military Training Hospital, participated in the establishment of the Republic’s early health policies, and played an active role in shaping them. He held positions such as rector of Istanbul University, dean of the Faculty of Medicine, and president of the Tuberculosis Fight Association, contributing significantly to the development of Turkish medicine through his scientific and institutional work.

Life and Career

Early Years and Education (1882–1903)

Ali Tevfik Salim was born on 27 May 1882 in Istanbul. His father, Mehmet Salim Bey, was the director of the Prime Ministry Cipher Office. Sağlam began his primary education at Üçler Mektebi, then attended Soğukçeşme Military Secondary School and the Military Medical Preparatory School before entering the Military Medical School in 1898. He graduated on 2 September 1903 with the rank of Captain Physician.

Military Medicine and Academic Roles (1903–1914)

After completing his internship at the Gülhane Military Training School, Sağlam served as an assistant in the departments of Serology and Internal Medicine. In 1906 he passed the examination for Assistant Professor of Internal Medicine at the Imperial School of Medicine. Following the integration of the medical school into Darülfünun in 1909, he became head of the laboratory and participated in the founding of the Third Internal Medicine Clinic.

War Years and Epidemic Control (1914–1918)

During the Balkan Wars, he became Chief Physician of the Salonica Reserve Division. In World War I, he served as Chief of Medical Services for the Second and Third Armies. He combated typhus outbreaks in Erzurum and Erzincan following the Battle of Sarıkamış. In 1915 he implemented a typhus vaccine he had developed himself. For these actions, he was tried by the Council of War but was acquitted.

National Struggle and Transition to the Republic (1918–1928)

In 1918 he assumed the position of Inspector of Medical Services for the Eastern Armies. In 1921 he moved to Ankara and joined the National Struggle, serving as Director of the Medical Department of the Ministry of National Defense. Later he held positions such as chief physician and professor at Gülhane and president of the Military Medical Council. In 1927 he was promoted to the rank of Major General and founded the Istanbul Tuberculosis Fight Society. He retired by his own request in 1928.

Health Policies and Institutional Activities (1929–1946)

He served as president of the Istanbul Chamber of Physicians and as a member of the Provincial General Assembly. In 1931 he took up positions at the Vakıf Gureba Hospital and the Faculty of Medicine. In 1933, following the university reforms, he was appointed Dean of the Faculty of Medicine and Ordinary Professor at Istanbul University. He resigned from these posts the same year. In 1943 he assumed the position of rector of Istanbul University.

Public Health and International Work (1947–1963)

In 1951 he established and chaired the Chair of Lung Diseases. In 1953 he launched a nationwide campaign against tuberculosis in collaboration with UNICEF and the Tuberculosis Fight Association of Türkiye. In 1959 he was elected president of the International Union Against Tuberculosis. With the contribution of his wife Naile Sağlam, he founded the Naile Sağlam Tuberculosis Institute.

Death (1963)

He retired on account of age on 27 May 1952. He died on 12 July 1963 in his home in Istanbul following a heart attack. He bequeathed all his assets to the Tuberculosis Fight Association.