President Ismet Inonu Party Republican People's Party Preceded by Fikri Tuzer | Prime Minister Sukru Saracoglu Name Recep Peker Preceded by Sukru Saracoglu Preceded by Ferit Tek | |
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Resting place Edirnekapi Martyr's Cemetery Education Ottoman Military College, Turkish Military Academy | ||
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.
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Early life
Born in Istanbul on 5 February 1889, his father was named Mustafa and was of Circassian descent, migrated to Anatolia from the Dagestan region of the Caucasus. He is Lezgi.
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.