# İbrahim Bedrettin Elmalılı

İbrahim Bedrettin Elmalılı (1903 – 5 December 1994), also known as İbrahim Elmalı Hoca, was a Turkish Islamic scholar, civil servant, and politician who served as the 6th president of the Presidency of Religious Affairs from 1965 to 1966. He also served a member of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey for two consecutive terms from 1969 to 1977.
In 1965, Elmalı was invited by the then president of Tunisia Habib Bourguiba to travel from Tunisia to Benghazi with plans to continue to Turkey. However, this prompted the decision to send a formal communication to the Libyan embassy, requesting that, if necessary, he should be detained and sent back to Turkey. Upon his return, pressure mounted for his resignation, and he was asked to step down from his position. Despite resisting these efforts, two months later, Elmalı became the first president of the Presidency of Religious Affairs to be dismissed by a decision of the Council of Ministers.

## Early life and education

Born in 1903 in Antalya, Turkey Elmalı was a member of a prominent religious family. He belonged to Elmalılı Hamdi Yazır, a well-known Ottoman Islamic scholar and Quran commentator. After completing his primary and secondary education in his hometown, he moved to Istanbul, where he pursued religious studies at the Darü’l-Hilâfeti’l Âliyye Madrasah. In 1928, he graduated from the Faculty of Theology at Darülfünun (now Istanbul University).
Between 1927 and 1931, Elmalı worked as a muezzin at the Hayderî Hüseyin Dede Mosque and Şirmet Çavuş Mosque in Istanbul. He also served as a substitute Turkish language teacher at St. George's Austrian High School and Trade School in Istanbul between 1931 and 1932. Later on 24 November 1932, to 30 April 1934, he worked as a substitute Turkish language and civics teacher at the Bulgarian School in Beyoğlu, Istanbul.

## Career

Elmalı completed his military service in two periods, first from 1934 to 1935 and again from 1942 to 1944. After his initial military service, he resumed his teaching role at the Bulgarian School in Beyoğlu, where he taught Turkish language and civics from 1935 to 1935.
He began his civil service career in 1935 as a clerk at the Istanbul Mufti's office. Over the next two decades, he was promoted to several ranks, serving as the mufti of Üsküdar in 1953. Following the military coup on May 27, 1960, Elmalı was appointed as the mufti of Istanbul, one of the prominent positions in the Turkish religious establishment.
In 1965, he was appointed head of the Personnel Department of the Presidency of Religious Affairs. Later that year, on December 9, 1965, he was appointed as the president of by the Turkish Council of Ministers.
Elmalı's presidency occurred during a time of political developments within the Prisidency of Religious Affairs. The Turkish government, particularly under the influence of the military leadership following the 1960 coup, introduced reforms aimed at modernizing religious institutions and aligning them more closely with state-administered religious education systems, such as Imam Hatip schools and Islamic institutes.
During his tenure, the Presidency of Religious Affairs was restructured under a 1965 law, which prioritized the recruitment of personnel from state-run religious schools. This shift led to tensions with religious communities that had previously held influence within the institution.
A challenge for Elmalı during his presidency was managing internal conflicts within the organisation. His deputy, Yaşar Tunagür, who had connections to the Nur movement, frequently disagreed with Elmalı on appointments and administrative practices. Tunagür's independent domestic and international activities, along with his involvement in key personnel decisions, contributed to internal friction. Elmalı brought these concerns to the attention of president Cevdet Sunay, but no formal action was taken.
In October 1966, Elmalı retired after less than a year in office. His departure was largely attributed to growing internal tensions within the organisation.

### Political career

Following his retirement from the Presidency of Religious Affairs, Elmalı entered politics. In 1969, he was elected as a member of parliament for Istanbul with the Millet Party. However, in 1970, after a split within the political right, Elmalı joined the newly founded Democratic Party, led by Ferruh Bozbeyli. He continued to serve as a member of parliament for Afyon from 1973 to 1977.