Ahmet Zeki Soydemir (1883-1954)

This study focuses on the military and political life of Ahmet Zeki Soydemir. Ahmet Zeki Pasha was born in Thessaloniki in 1883, graduated from the military academy he entered at a young age as a Promoted Captain and served in various unit commanders and staff positions. Following the Balkan War, Ahmet Zeki Pasha served as the Commander of the 1st Battalion of the Glorious 57th Regiment on the Gallipoli Front of the First World War. On April 25, 1915, after he was wounded at the front, he had to leave for treatment and returned to his duty a few months later. He participated in the National Struggle movement that started under the leadership of Mustafa Kemal Pasha and served as the Commander of the Detached Division in the Battle of Sakarya and the Commander of the 2nd Cavalry Division in the Great Offensive. He made a name for himself in the Battle of Sakarya and the Great Offensive as well as on the Gallipoli Front. After serving as the General Commandant of Gendarmerie between 1924-1930, Ahmet Zeki Pasha retired from military service and entered political life. Ahmet Zeki Pasha started his political life as a Member of Parliament for Erzurum, and after engaging in various activities, he ended it as a Member of Parliament for Çankırı. Ahmet Zeki Pasha, who played an active role in Turkey's independence and was one of the prominent figures in important wars such as Çanakkale and the War of Independence, died in 1954.