Recep Peker

Recep Peker
Prime Minister of Turkey
In office 7 August 1946 – 10 September 1947
President	İsmet İnönü
Preceded by	Şükrü Saraçoğlu
Succeeded by	Hasan Saka
Minister of the Interior
In office 17 August 1942 – 20 May 1943
Prime Minister	Şükrü Saracoğlu
Preceded by	Fikri Tüzer
Succeeded by	Hilmi Uran
In office 21 May 1924 – 5 January 1925
Prime Minister	Fethi Okyar
Preceded by	Ferit Tek
Succeeded by	Cemil Uybadın
Minister of National Education
In office 7 April 1929 – 10 April 1929
Prime Minister	İsmet İnönü
Preceded by	Hüseyin Vasıf Çınar
Succeeded by	Cemal Hüsnü Taray
Minister of Public Works
In office 15 October 1928 – 27 September 1930
Prime Minister	İsmet İnönü
Preceded by	Behiç Erkin
Succeeded by	Aziz Zekai Apaydın
Minister of National Defence
In office 4 March 1925 – 1 November 1927
Prime Minister	İsmet İnönü
Preceded by	Fethi Okyar
Succeeded by	Abdülhalik Renda
Minister of Finance
In office 21 May 1924 – 22 November 1924
Prime Minister	İsmet İnönü
Preceded by	Abdülhalik Renda
Succeeded by	Abdülhalik Renda
Personal details
Born	Mehmet Recep 5 February 1889 Istanbul, Ottoman Empire
Died	1 April 1950 (aged 61)
Resting place	Edirnekapı Martyr's Cemetery, Istanbul
Political party	Republican People's Party (CHP)
Alma mater	Ottoman Military Academy Ottoman Military College
Occupation	Army officer, politician
Religion	Islam

Mehmet Recep Peker (5 February 1889 – 1 April 1950) was a Turkish officer and politician. He served in various ministerial posts and finally as the Prime Minister of Turkey.

Early life

Born in Istanbul on 5 February 1889, his father was named Mustafa and was of Circassian descent,^[1] migrated to Anatolia from the Dagestan region of the Caucasus. He is Lezgi.^[2]

He studied at 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 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

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 curriculums. He taught the topic at universities in Ankara and Istanbul, as well as at the Military Academies. He wrote a book about it.

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. He served in this position until 7 September 1947. In 1948, he retired from the political life.

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

References

1. Berzeg, Sefer E. (1990-01-01). Türkiye Kurtuluş Savaşı'nda Çerkes göçmenleri (in Turkish). Nart Yayıncılık.
2. Özakman, Turgut; Nur, Rıza (1995-01-01). Dr. Rıza Nur dosyası (in Turkish). Bilgi yayınevi.

• Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the General Directorate of Cultural Heritages and Museums