# Zülfü Tigrel

Mehmet Zülfü Tigrel (1877 – 29 October 1940) was an Ottoman and Turkish politician and bureaucrat. He served three terms as a deputy in the Ottoman parliament, representing Diyarbakır from 1912 to 1914. Following the establishment of the Turkish Republic, he served five consecutive terms as a member of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, representing Diyarbakır from 1920 to 1939. He was also a founding member of the Society for the Defense of National Rights of Eastern Provinces and held several positions, including advisor during the Lausanne Peace Conference.

## Early life and education

Tigrel was born in Diyarbakır in 1877 to Zülfüzade Ali Hâmid Bey and Nazire Hanım. He received his primary education at Diyarbakır İptidai School, followed by secondary education at Diyarbakır Military Secondary School. He completed his high school education at Diyarbakır Civil High School, where he graduated alongside Ziya Gökalp and Aziz Feyzi Pirinççizâde.

## Career
### Administrative career

After obtaining graduation, Tigrel began his career in public service. In 1895, he started as a trainee at the Diyarbakır Administrative Council and was soon promoted to clerk. He was later appointed to the Diyarbakır Provincial Correspondence office, where he was awarded the rank of third degree (Rütbe-i Salise) in 1898. In 1900, he received the fourth degree of the Order of the Medjidie.
In 1901, he was appointed as a member of the Court of First Instance. Over the following years, he held various judicial positions, including acting president of both the Civil and Criminal Divisions simultaneously. During his tenure at the Appeals Court's Criminal Division, his rank was further promoted.

### As a member of the Ottoman parliament

Following the declaration of the Second Constitutional Era in 1908, Tigrel was elected to the Diyarbakır Municipal Council in the general elections held in November-December 1908. Between 1908 and 1912, he also served as a member of the Diyarbakır Provincial General Assembly and the Provincial Administrative Committee, participating in numerous special commissions.
On 2 April 1912, elections were held for the second term of the Ottoman parliament, and he was nominated by the Committee of Union and Progress (İttihat ve Terakki Cemiyeti). He was elected as a member of parliament representing Diyarbakır. He was re-elected in the 1914 elections for the third term of the Ottoman parliament, again as a candidate of the Committee of Union and Progress.

### As a member of the Turkish parliament

During the Turkish National Movement, Tigrel traveled extensively in Diyarbakır and surrounding areas to garner support for the movement. He successfully persuaded several tribes, including the Milli tribe, to support the national movement, earning him the Med of Independence with a Red-Green Ribbon for his contributions.
On March 6, 1922, he was temporarily granted a leave of absence from parliament to serve in roles assigned by the commander-in-chief. He was appointed as an advisor to the delegation attending the Lausanne Peace Conference on November 3, 1922, and remained in this role until the end of the conference, despite not participating in the second phase of negotiations.
He was re-elected as a member of parliament for Diyarbakır during the second term of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey. Although he was not nominated for the third term, he continued to serve uninterruptedly during the fourth, fifth, and sixth terms, collectively eight consecutive terms as a representative of Diyarbakır.
Throughout his tenure in both the Ottoman parliament and the Grand National Assembly, he was an active legislator. He participated extensively in legislative debates, particularly on judicial and agricultural issues, and submitted numerous proposals.

## Role in independence movement

After the Armistice of Mudros was signed on October 30, 1918, Tigrel became one of the founders of the Society for the Defense of National Rights of Eastern Provinces, a key organization during the Turkish National Movement.
On January 15, 1919, three months after the armistice, Tigrel, the deputy of Diyarbakır, was arrested in Istanbul and taken to Seydibeşir Prison Camp, Egypt. His detention was largely attributed to his influence over various tribes in the Diyarbakır region, where he was seen as a formidable figure against British actions.
The British authorities cited the Armenian deportations of 1915 as an attempt to disrupt the independence movement emerging in Anatolia. This led to a series of arrests allegedly targeting prominent individuals, including ministers, military leaders, governors, deputies, and writers.
The wave of arrests commenced on 29 May 1919, precisely ten days after Mustafa Kemal Pasha's arrival in Samsun on May 19. The list of 145 detainees included many notable figures of the time. Tigrel was subsequently transferred from Egypt to Malta, where he remained in exile for two years and eight months.
During his time in Malta, he reportedly faced various challenges, including the fact that he was never formally charged or tried in court. The British authorities held him there until mid-1921, aiming to disrupt the ongoing national movement. The testimonies of other intellectuals during their trial phases included statements that would later be recognized in historical accounts. Eventually, the British government acknowledged that they could no longer sustain this course of action, as growing public dissent, increasing pressure from the London press, and financial difficulties contributed to the decision to end Tigrel's exile.
Before he was released, the people of Diyarbakır nominated him for the last session of the Ottoman parliament. On January 12, 1920, he was re-elected as a member of parliament representing Diyarbakır. He was released from Malta on October 25, 1921, and presented to the Grand National Assembly of Turkey on November 15, 1921. In the assembly, he served on the interior, health, and Social Assistance Commissions, delivered eight speeches (four in closed sessions), and submitted four parliamentary questions.

## Death

Tigrel died on 29 October 1940. He is buried in Diyarbakır Mardinkapı Cemetery.

## Awards

Tigrel was awarded the Medal of Independence with Red-Green Ribbon by the government of Turkey for his contributions to the Turkish War of Independence. Before the establishment of the Republic of Turkey, Tigrel was actively engaged in civil services under the Ottoman Empire where he contributed to administrative and judicial reforms. In 1900, while serving the Ottoman Empire, he was awarded the fourth-class Order of the Medjidie, followed by the second- and third-class rank promotions for his contributions to the empire.