Turkish jurist, politician, and statesman. He held important positions during the late Ottoman Empire and the founding years of the Republic of Türkiye; he served as the Deputy of Justice (Minister of Justice), Deputy of Foreign Affairs (Minister of Foreign Affairs), and as a Member of Parliament in the Turkish Grand National Assembly (TGNA).

Life

He was born in Boyabat in 1878. His father was Qadi (Deputy) Hasan Raci Effendi. The jurist, who began his education at Kuleli Military High School, was transferred to the Military Medical Academy due to health reasons. While continuing his studies there, he was imprisoned for not betraying his pro-freedom friends. He was pardoned and discharged due to his disability and certain interventions, just as he was about to be exiled to Fezzan. After staying in his hometown for a while, he returned to Istanbul, enrolled in the School of Law, and graduated from there in 1904. He completed his higher education by obtaining a doctorate in the Political and Economic Sciences branch of the Paris Faculty of Law. He knew French and English.

Early Career and Constitutional Monarchy Period

He was appointed Assistant Director of Finance in Boyabat in 1898 and resigned in 1899. After graduating from the Faculty of Law, he began practicing as a lawyer. During the same period, he was appointed Assistant Lecturer, then Lecturer, in Criminal Law at the Faculty of Law. With the declaration of the Constitutional Monarchy in 1908, he was elected a Member of Parliament for Kastamonu but resigned on November 7, 1908. Between September 30, 1909, and August 31, 1914, he served as Student Inspector in Europe. On June 1, 1915, he was appointed Inspector General, and on November 23, 1915, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Justice.

National Struggle and Diplomacy Period

At the end of World War I, he was re-elected as a Member of Parliament for Kastamonu. Upon the occupation of Istanbul, he came to Ankara and joined the TGNA. He served as the plenipotentiary member of the delegation sent to Moscow with Foreign Minister Bekir Sami Bey. Later, on March 16, 1921, he went to Moscow for the second time as the Head of the Plenipotentiary Delegation and signed the Treaty of Friendship with the Soviet Union on behalf of the TGNA. He was elected Deputy of Justice of the TGNA on March 30, 1920, and Deputy of Foreign Affairs on May 15, 1921. During the ongoing struggle in Anatolia, he undertook various diplomatic duties. Despite being ill, he returned to his duty during the Great Offensive, which began on August 26, 1922. On September 12, 1922, he went to İzmir with Mustafa Kemal Pasha and participated in armistice and peace negotiations.

Lausanne Peace Conference and Aftermath

On October 25, 1922, he resigned from his deputyship to allow İsmet Pasha, Türkiye's chief delegate at the Lausanne Peace Conference, to be appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs. He went to Vienna to continue his treatment. In 1923, he was appointed Representative in London, but upon the decision that it could not be combined with his parliamentary duties, he chose to remain a Member of Parliament.

Republic Period and Academic Life

In 1930, he was appointed Deputy of Justice for the second time. In 1933, he resigned from this position and turned to academic work. He served as a Professor of Economics at Ankara Law School. In 1934, when the Turkish Revolution History course became compulsory in universities, he gave lectures on "The Economic and Financial Aspect of the Turkish Revolution" at Istanbul University, at the request of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. In 1941, he left his academic position due to the decision that Members of Parliament could not hold professorships.

Multi-Party Era and Political Struggle

He served as a Member of Parliament for Sinop during the 5th and 6th terms. He was not nominated by the Republican People's Party in the 7th term. Consequently, he was elected as a Member of Parliament from the Democrat Party but later left the party. On July 19, 1948, he was among the founders of the Nation Party. He did not participate in the 1950 elections and practiced law in Istanbul.

Later Years and Death

After the May 27, 1960 coup, he served as a representative of the Republican Villagers Nation Party in the House of Representatives, established on January 6, 1961. He passed away in Istanbul on April 15, 1969.