Celalettin Arif was born to Mehmet Arif in Erzurum, Ottoman Empire in 1875. After finishing the Soğukçeşme Military Middle School in Istanbul and Galatasaray High School, he studied law and political science in Paris, France. Between 1901 and 1908, he worked as a lawyer in Cairo, Egypt. Returned to Istanbul, he taught law and political science in colleges. From 1914 to 1920, he served as the conseil chairman of the Bar of Istanbul. He co-founded the political party "Osmanlı Ahrar Fıkrası" ("Ottoman Liberty Party"), and was elected as a deputy from Istanbul into the Ottoman parliament in its 4th legislative term. On March 4, 1920 he was elected parliament speaker that lasted only a brief time as the parliament was disbanded on 5 April 1920 by the Allied troops during the occupation of Istanbul.