Aslan (Toğuz) Bey, born in 1886 in the village of Fındık, under the district of Göksun in Maraş, played an active role in organizing and leading the defense of Maraş during the National Struggle and was awarded the Independence Medal for his resistance leadership. He served in the Ottoman police force and joined the National Struggle after the Armistice of Mudros. He presided over the Maraş Defense of Rights Society and played a pioneering role in liberating the city from French occupation. In 1920, he was elected as a deputy from Maraş to the Grand National Assembly of Türkiye (TBMM), contributing to its proceedings while maintaining ties with the Southern Front. He passed away in Pazarcık in 1963.
Aslan Bey’s date of birth is recorded as 1886 in parliamentary registers and as 1883 in the memoirs of his son. His father was Gendarmerie Sergeant Major Abdullah Hasan Bey. He completed his primary education in Göksun and secondary education in Elbistan, then enrolled in a madrasa in 1898. After working briefly as a teacher, he traveled to Aleppo to pursue religious studies. In 1910, he joined the police force of Aleppo Vilayet as an officer and was promoted rapidly, serving in Beirut and Tripolitania vilayets. By 1917, he had been elevated to the rank of chief commissioner.
After leaving his post following the Armistice of Mudros, Aslan Bey returned to Maraş and joined the National Struggle. As a founding president of the Maraş Defense of Rights Society, he was instrumental in organizing resistance in the city. He served both on the front lines and in the headquarters during the clashes that began in January 1920. Upon the arrest of the French negotiation delegation led by General Querette, he issued a proclamation declaring the start of the resistance. He actively participated in the defense of Maraş alongside Kılıç Ali Bey and other resistance leaders sent by Mustafa Kemal Paşa.
Maraş was liberated from enemy occupation with victory on 11 February 1920. In a telegram sent to Maraş, Mustafa Kemal Paşa praised the people’s resistance and presented their success as an example to the entire nation.
Aslan Bey joined the Grand National Assembly of Türkiye as a deputy from Maraş on 17 May 1920. However, due to his continued duties on the Southern Front, he joined the Assembly later than others. During this period, he informed the Assembly about developments on the front. In a telegram read in the Assembly on 15 May 1920, he reported losses inflicted on the enemy and the morale of the population. He began actively participating in Assembly work in November 1920. While engaged in legislative activities, he served as a member of the Post, Telegraph, and Telephone Commission. In 1921, he sent a telegram to Mustafa Kemal Paşa reporting on public support and morale in the Ayıntab front. In the same year, he proposed a motion to allocate a pension to the family of a deceased teacher.
After his first term as a deputy, he did not seek re-election. On 25 March 1925, he was awarded the Red-Green Ribbed Independence Medal by a decision of the TBMM. He was one of the 66 police officers to receive the Independence Medal. Returning to Maraş, he engaged in agriculture in Göksun and Pazarcık. After the Surname Law, he adopted the surname “Toğuz.” In the 1940s, he benefited from the financial assistance granted to first-term deputies. He passed away in Pazarcık on 7 June 1963.
His Roles and Police Career in the Ottoman Period
His Role in the Defense of Maraş During the National Struggle
His Role in the TBMM and Connection to the Southern Front
Medal, Retirement, and Death
