Ziya Hurşit

Who was Ziya Hurşit?

Ziya Hurşit Bey was one of 1st Türkiye Büyük Millet Meclisi's deputies. He was executed for attempting an assassination against Mustafa Kemal.

Ziya Hurşit was born in the town of Çamlıhemşin of Rize Province in 1892. He was a Hemshin. He was a member of Kürdoğlu family. He was educated on ship construction and radio in Gdańsk, Germany. He participated in Erzurum Congress as Trabzon delegate. He fought in Independence War as a volunteer. He took part in 1st TBMM as Lazistan deputy. He had been a member of Yozgat Independence Court for a period of time. But his views differed from Mustafa Kemal's. Thus he wasn't able to be elected as deputy in 2nd TBMM.

On June 16, 1926, he was arrested for planning an assassination against Mustafa Kemal in İzmir. According to charge made, those who act with Ziya Hurşit, Gürcü Yusuf, Laz İsmail and Çopur Hilmi, would shot Mustafa Kemal dead in front of Kemeraltı prison. Ziya Hurşit and his fellow friends, taking advantage of chaos caused, would embark on the boat of Cretan Şevki Bey,which was waiting in the dock, by a car waiting in the Yemiş bazaar and flee to Chios. But at the last moment, as a consequence of Şevki Bey's treachery by regretting this action, Ziya Hurşit and his friends were captured. It was understood that behind the assassination was a group in Terakkiperver Cumhuriyet Fırkası, an Opposition party in TBMM. The party was closed down. Ziya Hurşit and his friends were sentenced to death and on July 14, 1926 he was executed with another thirteen men including Laz İsmail, Gürcü Yusuf, Çopur Hilmi, Şükrü Bey, Ayıcı Arif and İsmail Canpolat.