Emin Erkul's professional and political biography

Operator doctor Emin Beg was born in Sanjak of Serfice which belongs to Gerbene district that is located in today's Greece. After having accomplished his primary and secondary education, he attended the Military Medical School. When he was a senior man he visited his father who lived in Erzurum. There Ibrahim Beg, the head doctor and the field officer who is a friend of Yahya Efendi encouraged him to take part in minor surgeries. Emin Beg was graduated as an operator doctor in the 26th of August 1905. He was both given the title of assistant doctor and promoted to be a military captain at the Gulhane Military Medical Hospital in the 6th of December, 1905. When he first achieved his operator doctor certificate, he was charged to the service at the Gulhane Military Medical Hospital. After that he was sent to the International Budapest Medicine Congress in 1909. He paid back his education expenses to the Military Medical School and resigned from his military duties in the 13th of September, 1910. Subsequently he founded the first two private hospitals, one in Afyonkarahisar and the other in Konya, in the Ottoman Empire. Emin Beg was promoted to the Bursa Public Health Organization in the 8th of October, 1913. After four years he became the chief of the surgical unit and head doctor of the Gureba Hospital in the 30th of March 1917. He became the representative of the Bursa Mayor and at the same time he was the head of Bursa Red Crescent. While he was working in Bursa, he had been honoured by two medals; one was Naval Force Medal (10th of August, 1915 and 13th of October, 1918) and the other one was the Medal of Merit (22nd of November 1919). Furthermore, Emin Beg continued working as a Bursa Deputy at the first period of Turkish Grand National Assembly (TGNA). He had taken part in constitution, civil works and health commissions when he was Bursa Deputy. He had delivered 147 speeches and submitted 13 official notes. For instance Emin Beg and Md.Refik Beg submitted a proposal about honouring the head of TGNA veteran Ataturk as a supreme military command in 20th of July, 1922. Emin Beg served as an operator during the national struggle period and he conducted serious surgeries. He worked as a Bursa Deputy till 11th of August, 1923, however he could not elected as a deputy at the second Assembly due to the lack of votes. On the other hand, Emin Beg was nominated as a Mayor of Istanbul in the 5th of June, 1924. During his presidential term, municipal police organization, slaughterhouse and freezer room for public were founded. In order to strengthen the financial situation of Istanbul, he reached in an agreement with the Italian Aero Expresso Airlines Company and set seaplane trips between Istanbul and Rhodes. Furthermore he co-worked with the Turkish Travellers Society and appointed the society to educate and train guides and translators in order to promote the tourism in Istanbul. Emin Beg resigned from his jobs due to his health condition. After his resignation he could not work till the 3rd of March 1932. Then on the 1st of January 1934 he was selected as an executive member of the Ottoman Bank. In addition to this, he was rewarded as an honorary member of the USA Military Surgeons Society on the 2nd May of 1939. During the national struggle period Emin Beg discovered a new kind of sterilisation called otoklav and he exhibited his own made sterilisation at the International Military Surgery and Pharmacy Society that gathered in Washington. Later on he donated this material to the Washington Military Medicine Museum. He was rewarded with an honorary citizenship of Bursa by the Bursa Municipal Council's decision numbered 131 in the 7th of February 1947. He was married and had two children. He could speak French, English, Greek and German. Moreover in his successful life he discovered a special method for circumcision and published a leaflet and many more articles about his medical experiences. Emin Beg died in Istanbul on the 3rd of June 1964. His funeral took place at Kadikoy Osmanaga Mosque on Friday the 5th of June 1964. He was buried in a family graveyard in Merdivenkoy. Key Words: National Struggle, Operator doctor Emin Beg, Mayor, Turkish Grand National Assembly (TGNA).