Mahmut Esat Bozkurt
Mahmut Esat Bozkurt (1892–1943) was a Turkish jurist, politician and government minister.
Life
Mahmut Esat was born in Kuşadası, Aydın Vilayet during the Ottoman Empire era in 1892. He finished the idadi (high school) in İzmir in 1908, and graduated from İstanbul University's School of Law in 1912. He traveled to Fribourg, Switzerland for further studies. He completed his doctorate thesis Du régime des capitulations ottomanes ("On the Capitulations of the Ottoman Empire") with summa cum laude, "highest honor" at the University of Fribourg. In 1919, after Greek landing at Smyrna, he returned home to join the nationals in the Turkish War of Independence. He secretly traveled in an Italian ship, which was carrying ammunition to the Italian occupation troops in Anatolia. Although he was arrested by the Italians, he managed to escape. In Turkey, he became a member of the Turkish parliament established on 23 April 1920. He held this post up to his death in 1943.[1]
Government minister
Before the proclamtion of the Republic in the 4th cabinet of the Executive Ministers of Turkey, he was appointed Minister of Economy on 12 July 1922. He held this post in the 5th cabinet of the Executive Ministers of Turkey up to 24 September 1923. After the Republic was proclaimed on 29 October 1923, he served as Minister of Justice in the 3rd, 4th and the 5th government of Turkey between 22 November 1924 – 27 September 1930.
Mahmut Esat is known as the progenitor of Turkish civil code (1926).[1] The preamble of the code written by Mahmut Esat is considered to reflect the philosophy of Turkish Revolution.[2][3]
Lotus case
Mahmut Esat was also known by his struggles in an ınternational crises named the Lotus case. On 2 August 1926, a French streamship named S.S. Lotus collided on high seas with the Turkish steamer S.S. Boz-Kourt causing the death of eight Turkish seamen. As the lieutenant on watch duty of the French vessel was arrested by the Turkish government, French government accused Turkey in the Permanent Court of International Justice claiming that Turkey had no right to arrest any French person. French side in the court was represented by the renowned law professor Jules Basdevant. Mahmut East personally defended Turkish position in the court. The court rejected France's position.[1]
Following the adoption of the Surname Law in Turkey in 1934, Mahmut Esat took the family name "Bozkurt" in reminiscence of the Turkish vessel's name.