Mustafa Merlika-Kruja

Mustafa Merlika-Kruja
13th Prime Minister of Albania
In office December 4, 1941 – January 19, 1943
Preceded by	Shefqet Vërlaci
Succeeded by	Eqrem Libohova
Personal details
Born	March 15, 1887 Akçahisar, Ottoman Empire (modern day Krujë, Albania)
Died	December 27, 1958 (aged 71) Niagara Falls, United States of America
Profession	Prime Minister

Mustafa Merlika-Kruja^[1] (March 15, 1887, Akçahisar, Ottoman Empire (modern day Krujë, Albania) – December 27, 1958, Niagara Falls) was Prime Minister of Albania during the Italian occupation from December 4, 1941 – January 19, 1943, and one of the signatories of Albanian Declaration of Independence.

After participating as a volunteer in Ottoman army during the Italo-Turkish War in 1912 he became a Governor. In 1913 he joined the Ministry of Education and in 1914 became an advisor of the Ministry of Public Education. In 1918 he was Minister of Posts and Telegraphs. In 1921 he was elected to the Albanian parliament and in 1924 he was appointed prefect.

On August 4, 1939, after the personal union of Albania to the crown of Italy, Merlika-Kruja was appointed as a Senator within the Italian Kingdom until August 25, 1944, when he resigned. During his tenure he was a member of the Foreign Affairs, Trade and Customs legislature.

In June 1942 Mustafa Kruja declared his goals candidly before his followers in Kosovo: "efforts should be made to get rid of the Serbian population in Kosovo and Metohija as soon as possible ... All indigenous Serbs should be declared as colonists and, with the help of the governments of Albania and Italy, should be sent to concentration camps in Albania. The Serbian settlers should be killed."^[2]

In the Spring of 1944 he escaped by boat from Albania to Italy and from there to Egypt. There he met an old rival of his, the Albanian King Ahmed Zogu. After World War II he lived in France. The last years of his life were spent in the United States of America.

References

1. ^ From Italian senate website a page to Merlika-Kruja
2. ^ The roots of Kosovo fascism

Persondata
Name	Merlika-Kruja, Mustafa
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	March 15, 1887
Place of birth
Date of death	December 27, 1958
Place of death