Şükrü Âli Ögel

Şükrü Âli Ögel (1886–1973) was a Turkish military officer and the first director of the former Turkish governmental intelligence agency Milli Emniyet Hizmeti (MAH) (National Security Service), the predecessor of Milli İstihbarat Teşkilatı (MİT) today.

Born 1886 in Istanbul, he attended the military academy and joined the Ottoman army on August 13, 1909 in the rank of a second lieutenant. Şükrü Âli served as a staff officer in the West Front during the Turkish War of Independence.

He took part in the foundation of the intelligence organization Milli Emniyet Hizmeti, and was appointed on December 25, 1926 its first director. He retired from the military service on December 22, 1936 as he was in the rank of a colonel, kept but his position at the MAH.

On May 25, 1937, Şükrü Âli Ögel entered the Turkish Grand National Assembly as the deputy of Istanbul. With the approval of the prime minister, he continued his position as chief of the intelligence agency beside his membership in the parliament. He quit from the MAH on July 7, 1941 after a dispute with the Prime minister Refik Saydam.

He died on June 1, 1973.

External links

* [http://www.mit.gov.tr/tarihce/ikinci_bolum_G1.html Biography at the MİT website] tr icon