Sulejman Delvina, also known as Sylejman Fehmi (5 October 1871 – 1 August 1932), was an Albanian politician, who served as prime minister from 30 January March to 14 November 1920.[1]
Life and career
Early life
Sulejman Delvina was born on 5 October 1871 in the city of the same name, Delvinë, then Ottoman Empire. His father Selim bey came from a family of high status in the area which is evidenced by the honorific title Bey that Sulejman himself, his father Selim and his brother Namik held.[2] He studied in the rüşdiye (Middle school) at the Zosimaia School in Ioannina, while completed his university studies at the Mekteb-i Mülkiye for Public Administration in Istanbul, from where he graduated in the class of 1899.[3] In the same year he began to serve as an officer in the Ottoman Ministry of Interior. In May 1901, he became a professor of Ottoman literature at VefaIdadi school in Istanbul, and from September 1905 onwards he held the same post at the prestigious Galatasaray High School.[3] In 1909, he wrote a manual, republished in 1910 and 1912, on Ottoman literature for the high schools of the empire. In July 1911 he was one of the organizers of the student protest, demanding the right to use the Albanian alphabet that was adopted on 1908 in the Congress of Manastir, but has not been recognized by the Ottoman Empire.[4] In 1916, in addition to being a professor, he resumed work in the Ministry of the Interior until the signing of the Armistice of Mudros.[3]
Return to Albania
In 1919 he was the representative of the Albanian communities of the Ottoman Empire in the Paris Peace Conference. On 30 January 1920, the Congress of Lushnjë decided to overthrow the so-called the Government of Durrës for violating national interests and decided to appoint a new government. Sulejman Delvina was appointed as Prime Minister, taking into account his experience as a former official in the Ottoman Empire.In 1924 Sulejman Delvina was one of the leaders of the revolution that overthrew the regime of Zog I, King of Albania and established a democratic government.[5][6]Fan S. Noli became the new Prime Minister, while Sulejman Delvina was part of the new cabinet as Minister of Foreign Affairs.[7]
^Robert Elsie in Historical Dictionary of Albania incorrectly sets the year of birth in 1884, while according to Elisabeth Özdalga he graduated in 1899 making it inaccurate, as it was only 15 years old at the time. Özdalga herself, sets the year of birth in 1872, which is much closer to 1871 which is widely used in Albanian sources.
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