Bekir Sami Kunduh facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Bekir Sami Kunduh
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| Deputy of the Turkish Grand National Assembly | |
| In office 3 May 1920 – 8 May 1921 |
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| Succeeded by | Ahmet Muhtar Mollaoğlu |
| Minister of Foreign Affairs | |
| In office 3 May 1920 – 8 May 1921 |
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| Preceded by | Office established |
| Succeeded by | Yusuf Kemal Bey |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1867 Saniba, Russian Empire |
| Died | 16 January 1933 (aged 66) Istanbul, Turkey |
Bekir Sami Bey (also known as Bekir Sami Kunduh) was an important Turkish politician. He was born in 1867 and passed away in 1933. He is remembered for being the very first Minister of Foreign Affairs for Turkey. This was during a crucial time for the country, right after World War I. He played a big part in shaping Turkey's early relationships with other nations.
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The Life of Bekir Sami Kunduh
Early Years and Education
Bekir Sami was born in a place called Saniba in Ossetia. His father was Musa Kunduh Pasha, a leader and general in the Russian army. Later, his father moved to the Ottoman Empire.
Bekir Sami studied at Galatasaray High School, which is a famous school. After that, he went to Paris to study political science. This helped him learn about how governments work and how countries interact.
Working for the Government
Bekir Sami started his career working at the Turkish embassy in St. Petersburg, Russia. An embassy is like an office for a country in another country. After this, he became a governor in different cities. He served as governor in places like Amasya, Van, Trabzon, Bursa, Beirut, and Aleppo. Being a governor meant he was in charge of these areas. His last job before World War I ended was as the governor of Beirut.
After World War I
After World War I ended in 1918, Bekir Sami became a key member of a secret Turkish nationalist group called the Karakol society. This group worked to protect Turkey from being divided by other countries. They also resisted the Allied forces who had occupied parts of Turkey.
Mustafa Kemal, who would later become the founder of modern Turkey, invited Bekir Sami to join important meetings. Bekir Sami attended the Erzurum Congress and Sivas Congress in 1919. These meetings were very important for planning Turkey's future.
Bekir Sami also signed the Amasya Protocol in October 1919. This agreement helped set up new elections for the Ottoman parliament. He was elected to represent Amasya in the parliament in Istanbul. However, Allied forces occupied Istanbul in March 1920, and the parliament stopped meeting.
Just a few days later, Mustafa Kemal announced the creation of a new assembly in Ankara, called the Grand National Assembly of Turkey. Bekir Sami was one of the 70 leaders who moved to Ankara and became a deputy in this new assembly. The first meeting was on April 23, 1920.
First Foreign Minister
When Mustafa Kemal formed his first government on May 3, 1920, Bekir Sami was chosen as the Minister of Foreign Affairs. This made him Turkey's very first foreign minister. In this role, he represented Turkey in talks with other countries.
One of his most important tasks was leading the Turkish group to the Conference of London in early 1921. During these talks, a big issue was the Turkish prisoners held by the British on the island of Malta. Other governments had agreed to let foreign powers try Turks accused of wartime actions. But Turkish leaders felt this was wrong.
Bekir Sami told the Allies that Turkey would not accept foreign trials for its prisoners. He believed that if any crimes were committed, Turkey's own government should handle the trials. However, the agreement drafted by the British still allowed Britain to hold and try some Turkish prisoners.
The Turkish assembly in Ankara felt that this agreement went against Turkey's independence. They believed Bekir Sami had gone beyond what the government allowed him to do. Because of this, he resigned from his position as foreign minister on May 8, 1921.
Later Life
In 1924, Bekir Sami helped start the Progressive Republican Party of Turkey. Mustafa Kemal had asked him to do this. However, this party only lasted for about nine months before it was closed down in 1925.
Later, in 1926, there was an attempt to harm Mustafa Kemal in İzmir. Many people were arrested, including Bekir Sami. But he was found innocent in court.
Bekir Sami passed away in Istanbul on January 16, 1933. The year after he died, a law was passed in Turkey requiring everyone to have a surname. So, his family chose the surname Kunduh.
