Fakhri Pasha
Ömer Fahrettin Türkkan, commonly known as Fakhri Pasha and nicknamed the Defender of Medina, was a Turkish career officer, who was the commander of the Ottoman Army and governor of Medina from 1916 to 1919. He was nicknamed "The Lion of the Desert" and "The Tiger of the Desert"[3] by the British and Arabs for his patriotism in Medina[4][2] and is known for defending Medina in the Siege of Medina during World War I.[5]
For the officer of the Ottoman Army born 1880, also known as Fahreddin Pasha, see Fahrettin Altay.Ömer Fahrettin Türkkan[1]
1868 (November or December)
Rusçuk, Danube Vilayet, Ottoman Empire
22 November 1948 (aged 79–80)
Eskişehir, Turkey
Ottoman Empire (1888–1919) Ankara Government (1921–1923)
Turkey (1923–1936)
1888–1919, 1921–1936
31st Division, XII Corps, Fourth Army (deputy), Hejaz Expeditionary Force
Turkish ambassador to Kabul
He married Ayşe Sıdıka Hanımefendi (1884–1959) in 1900, who was the daughter of Ferik Ahmet Paşa. They had five children:
Life after war[edit]
After Fahreddin Pasha's arrest, he was brought to the military barracks at Cairo, Egypt. Later he was transferred to Malta, where he lived as a prisoner of war until 1921.[16] After his release, he joined the Turkish forces under the command of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk and fought against the Greek and French armies occupying Anatolia. After the Turkish War of Independence, he was Turkey's ambassador to Kabul, Afghanistan from 1922 to 1926.[17] In 1936, he was promoted to the rank of Ferik (lieutenant general) and retired from the Turkish Army. Fahreddin Pasha died on 22 November 1948, after suffering a heart attack during a train trip in the vicinity of Eskişehir.[16] According to his wishes, he was buried in the Aşiyan Cemetery in İstanbul.[16]
Legacy[edit]
In December 2017 Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Foreign Minister of the United Arab Emirates, sparked a diplomatic rift with Turkey by sharing a post on his personal social media account aimed at exposing Fahreddin and his forces for stealing manuscripts from Medina among other crimes against the local population during the siege.[18] In response, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan called the Foreign Minister ignorant and said, "Some impertinent man sinks low and goes as far as accusing our ancestors of theft... What spoiled this man? He was spoiled by oil, by the money he has. When my ancestors were defending Medina, you impudent (man), where were yours? First, you have to give account for this."[19] A few days later, the Turkish government changed the name of the Ankara street where the UAE Embassy is located to Fahreddin Pasha.[20]
Ömer Fahreddin Türkkan (1935-1936)
Fahreddin Pasha
Fahreddin Pasha
Fahreddin Pasha
Young Fahreddin Pasha
Fahreddin Pasha in Afghanistan
Fahreddin Pasha with his children
Fahreddin Pasha celebrates Eid with his soldiers in Medina, 1918.
Fahreddin Pasha
