Topal Osman

Topal Osman Agha (1883, Giresun – April 1, 1923) was a colonel of the late Ottoman Empire and early Republic of Turkey, and a veteran of the 1912-1913 Balkan Wars where he became lame (Turkish: topal).

For his work in the national movement, Osman became commander of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk's special "Bodyguard Regiment."^[1] After strangling Trabzon deputy Ali Şükrü Bey to death on March 27, 1923, due to Şükrü's criticism of Mustafa Kemal,^[2] he was killed in Ankara during an exchange of fire with the military units sent to capture him on April 1, 1923.^[3] His body was later hanged in front of the Turkish Parliament and he now rests in Giresun.^[4]

Toktamış Ateş of Istanbul University claims that former primer minister Tansu Çiller had once promised to open a university in Topal's name.^[5]

[edit] References

1. ^ Taner Akçam. A Shameful Act: The Armenian Genocide and the Question of Turkish Responsibility, ISBN 0805079327, p. 341-2.
2. ^ Ayşe Hür, "Çağımızın Bir (Başka) Kahramanı", Birikim, February 2006 (Turkish)
3. ^ "1923 Timeline". Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism. http://www.kultur.gov.tr/EN/BelgeGoster.aspx?17A16AE30572D313E603BF9486D4371D2858DA18F4388CDD. Retrieved 2008-09-04. 
4. ^ Teoman Alpaslan, Topal Osman Ağa efsanesi, Kum Saati Publishing, 2007.^{[page needed]}
5. ^ Ateş, Toktamış (2006-06-15). "Topal Osman ya da Osman Ağa" (in Turkish). Bugün. http://makale.turkcebilgi.com/kose-yazisi-87746-toktamis-ates-topal-osman-ya-da-osman-aga.html. Retrieved 2008-09-04. "Sayın Tansu Çiller başbakanken, Giresun'a bir 'Topal Osman Üniversitesi' vadetmesi, doğrusu canımı çok sıkmıştı." 

[edit] External links

• Osman Agha (1883-1923)

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