Name Pretash Ulaj | Died 1962 | |
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Pretash Zekaj Ulaj (1882-1962), known as Pretash Zeka, was an Albanian tribal leader in Koje (Koci) (an Albanian-inhabited village in eastern Montenegro), and one of the heroes of the Battle of Deciq, fought near Tuzi in 1911 between Albanian highlanders and the Ottoman troops of Shefket Turgut Pasha.
Life
Pretash was born in Koje (Koci), an Albanian-inhabited village in eastern Montenegro, close to the border of Albania, the second oldest of the 12 sons of Zek Nika Ulaj. His brothers also helped defend their border town against advancing Turks and Slavs into the Albanian Malesia region.
Pretash was the leader of the Koje brotherhood (of the village of Koje), an Albanian enclave within the Kuci mountain of Montenegro. On April 6, 1911, the Malesor Warriors led by Ded Gjo Luli reached the top of the strategic peak of Deciq at the Battle of Deciq. Many died that day and the Ottomans were defeated.
About a year and a half later, the Albanian flag was risen officially in the southern town of Vlora.