Abstract:

With the dramatic collapse of Ottoman Empire, at the end of the World War I, the country was occupied and the War of Independence aganist occupation concluded with the establishment of Turkish Republic. Minister İsmail Safa (Özler) took part in this struggle activelly as Deputy, Governor and Minister. He made important comtrubitions in foundation and institutionalization of the State at the end of the National Struggle. Mister İsmail Safa was elected to parliament as a deputy of Mersin in 1920 elections for the first Turkish Grand National Assembly (1. TBMM). On May 8, he attended the assembly and started legislation activities. In the same period, in the Pozanti Congress which was held on August 5, the authorities agreed on moving the city centre of Adana to Pozantı. In this congress, Mr İsmail Safa was appointed to the governorship of Adana vicariously. Mr İsmail Safa was elected as the deputy of Adana by receiving votes of 239 citizens at the 1923 elections of Second Turkish Grand National Assembly. From August 11, 1923 to 1927, he served as a deputy in the Assembly. He was elected as a deputy in 1939 elections again, and he passed away in 1940 when he was still a deputy in the Assembly. Mister İsmail Safa is the first Minister of National Education in Republic period and the last Minister of National Education in National Struggle. He studied soue important issues like making law of Primary Education, collecting Turkey’s science Council, etc. İn education life, he contributed in the field of educating teacher, boarding schools, foreign language education and applied education. In this study, Mister İsmail Safa’s life story, his duties and his thought style were examined. In this research it was benefitet from the archives documments of Ottoman and Republic periods ,official reports of Grand National Assembly of Turkey, period’s periodical publications, memories and research Works.

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