Refik Koraltan

Koraltan was born in Divriği, Sivas Province, in 1889, the son of Ali Bey, a local leading citizen. Although he was known as Refik Koraltan, the name on his birth record was Bekir Refik. After completing the primary and middle education in Divriği, Koraltan studied at Istanbul Mercan High School. He graduated from Istanbul Faculty of Law in 1914.

Refik Koraltan in the 1920s

Koraltan entered public service as an assistant prosecutor and became the Attorney General of Karaman in 1915. He was assigned as police inspector on March 2, 1918, and charged as Chief of Police of Trabzon on May 29, 1918. During this duty, he facilitated the establishment of the "Society of Defence of the National Rights to counteract the Pontus Rum Organizations" that started to appear after the end of World War I.

He was elected in the TBMM as the Deputy of Konya in 1920 and reelected from the same city for three more terms.

He served as Governor of Bursa Province from 1939 to 1942.[1]

He served briefly as governor of Konya Province before returning to the parliament six more terms. In 1946, he quit from the CHP and formed the Democratic Party together with Celal Bayar, Adnan Menderes and Mehmet Fuat Köprülü. Finally, he served as the Speaker of the TBMM from May 22, 1950, until May 27, 1960. During the Yassıada trials, Koraltan was convicted of political charges and imprisoned. He was released under an amnesty in 1966.

Koraltan died on June 17, 1974, in Istanbul, and is buried in Ankara.

Koraltan was married with four children.

• Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the General Directorate of Cultural Heritages and Museums