Ahmet Ali Çelikten facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ahmet Ali Çelikten
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Çelikten with his flight cap, Istanbul , Place. Yeşilköy Airfield - today Istanbul Atatürk Airport.
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| Birth name | İzmir´li Alioğlu, Ahmed Ali Çelikten |
| Nickname(s) | Arap Ahmet Ali İzmirli Ahmet Ali, Pilot Code-Call Name - Black Steel Eagle of Izmir, in short Black Eagle |
| Born | 1883, Izmir İzmir, Aydin Vilayet, Ottoman Empire |
| Died | June 24th 1969 Izmir, Türkiye |
| Allegiance |  Ottoman Empire Turkey |
| Service/ |
 Ottoman Navy Ottoman Aviation Squadrons Turkish Naval Forces Turkish Air Force |
| Years of service | Ottoman Empire: 1904–1920 Turkey: 1920–1949 |
| Rank | Colonel (Albay) |
| Unit | June 25th 1914, Istanbul Bahri Teyyare Bölüğü |
| Battles/wars | Gallipoli campaign World War I Turkish War of Independence Battle with a Greek aircraft over the Aegean Sea in 1919. Ahmet Ali shot one Greek fighter aircraft. He protected the civilians of Izmir from air attack. |
| Awards | Yellow Navy Medal of the Turkish Navy, "Turkish Independence Medal Nr. 480" awarded in 1924 by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk and İsmet İnönü for his heroism in rescuing Türkiye in the war of liberation. |
| Children | Muammer Celikten, Yilmaz Celikten, and Mehmet Ali Şeker (nephew) |
Ahmet Ali Çelikten (born in 1883, died in 1969) was a very important Turkish aviator. He is known as one of the first black pilots in history. He got his pilot's license, also called "wings," in 1914. This made him one of the few black pilots who flew during World War I. His grandmother was from a place called Bornu, which is now in Nigeria. She was brought to Turkey a long time ago.
Contents
Biography
Early Life and Training
Ahmet Ali was born in 1883 in İzmir, a city in the Ottoman Empire. His mother, Zenciye Emine Hanım, had Nigerian roots. His father, Ali Bey, was also of Afro-Turkish background.
Ahmet always wanted to be a sailor. So, in 1904, he joined the Naval Technical School. He worked hard and graduated in 1908 as a First Lieutenant.
Becoming a Pilot
After his naval training, Ahmet decided to learn how to fly. He joined the Naval Flight School in 1914. This school was located in Yeşilköy. Soon, he became a part of the Ottoman Air Force.
During World War I, Ahmet married Hatice Hanım. She was from a place called Preveza.
Flying in World War I
On November 11, 1916, Ahmet Ali Çelikten became one of the first black military pilots ever. In February 1917, he was promoted to Captain. He was then sent to Berlin to finish more aviation courses.
After his training, he was sent to the Izmir Naval Aircraft Company. He was given a special code name: "Celik Kara Kartal," which means "Black Eagle of Steel." People often called him "Black Eagle" for short.
Turkish War of Independence
After World War I ended, Ahmet Ali joined the Turkish War of Independence. He supported the Turkish National Movement. He volunteered to fly planes at the Konya Military Air Base.
During this time, Turkish Nationalists planned to take airplanes from Ottoman warehouses. They wanted to move them to Amasra, a port town. In 1922, Ahmet was sent to Amasra to help with this plan. Pilots used these planes to watch over the Black Sea and protect naval ships.
Later Career and Retirement
When the Republic of Turkey was formed in 1923, Ahmet continued his service. He helped move aviation operations to Izmir. In 1928, he joined the Air Undersecretariat. This was a part of the Turkish Air Force.
In 1924, Ahmet Ali received a very special award. It was called the "Türkiye Cumhuriyeti Istiklal Madalyasi" (Independence Medal). Mustafa Kemal Atatürk and İsmet İnönü gave him this medal. It was for his bravery during the Turkish Independence War.
Ahmet Ali retired in 1949 as a Colonel in the Turkish Air Force. After retiring, he spent time with his family. He passed away on June 24, 1969, in Izmir, Turkey. Today, some of Ahmet Ali's grandchildren work in the aviation industry in Turkey and Germany.
Legacy
Ahmet Ali Çelikten is remembered as a very important figure in aviation history. Many people believe he was the first "Black" Air Force pilot. He earned his pilot's license in 1914.
A book called The Ottoman Army 1904–1918 by David Nicolle talks about him. It says that Ahmet Ali was a mix of Arab-African and Turkish heritage. The book also has a picture of Ahmet in front of a training plane.
Sometimes, Eugene Bullard, an African American pilot, is called the first black military aviator. However, Ahmet Ali earned his "wings" earlier than Bullard. This makes Ahmet Ali Çelikten a true pioneer in aviation.
Gallery
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Ahmet Ali in flight suit with officers wearing a fez in the background.
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Ottoman naval aviators of the Naval Flight School (Deniz Tayyare Mektebi) at Aya Stefanos; left to right: pilot Ahmet Ali (Çelikten), Sami (Uçan), İhsan and observer Hüseyin Kâmil (Görgün).
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Ottoman pilots in 1914/1915 next to a Blériot XI-2 monoplane. Ahmet Ali Çelikten can be seen next to the propeller.
