Mahmut Esat Bozkurt

Mahmut Esat (Bozkurt)
Mahmut Esat in the 1920s
Minister of Economy
In office 12 July 1922 – 24 September 1923
Prime Minister	Rauf Bey, Fethi Bey
Preceded by	Hasan Saka
Succeeded by	Hasan Saka
Minister of Justice
In office 22 November 1924 – 27 September 1930
Prime Minister	İsmet İnönü
Preceded by	Mustafa Necati
Succeeded by	Yusuf Kemal Bey
Personal details
Born	Mahmut Esat 1892 Kuşadası, Aydın Vilayet, Ottoman Empire
Died	December 21, 1943(1943-12-21) (aged 50–51)
Nationality	Turkish
Political party	Republican People's Party (CHP)
Education	Law
Alma mater	İstanbul University's Law School
Occupation	Jurist, politician and academic
Known for	Turkish civil code (1926), Lorus case

Mahmut Esat Bozkurt (1892–21 December 1943) was a Turkish jurist, politician and government minister and academic. His birth name was Mahmut Esat. But after Turkey adopted Surname Law in 1934, he chose the surname Bozkurt suggested by Kemal Atatürk as a reminiscence of his famous victory in international court (see below)

Mahmut Esat was born to Hasan Bey of Hacı Mahmutoğulları in Kuşadası, Aydın Vilayet during the Ottoman Empire era in 1892. He finished the idadi (high school) in İzmir in 1908, and graduated from İstanbul University's School of Law in 1912. He traveled to Fribourg, Switzerland for further studies. He completed his doctorate thesis Du régime des capitulations ottomanes ("On the Capitulations of the Ottoman Empire") with summa cum laude, "highest honor" at the University of Fribourg. In Lausanne, he served as the leader of the Turkish Student Association.

In 1919, after Greek landing at Smyrna, he returned home to join the nationals in the Turkish War of Independence. He secretly traveled in an Italian ship, which was carrying ammunition to the Italian occupation troops in Anatolia. Although he was arrested by the Italians, he managed to escape.

He became a member of the Turkish parliament established on 23 April 1920. He held this post up to his death in 1943. Before the proclamation of the Republic in the 4th cabinet of the Executive Ministers of Turkey, he was appointed Minister of Economy on 12 July 1922. He held this post in the 5th cabinet of the Executive Ministers of Turkey up to 24 September 1923. After the Republic was proclaimed on 29 October 1923, he was elected a deputy of İzmir and served as Minister of Justice in the 3rd, 4th and the 5th government of Turkey between 22 November 1924 – 27 September 1930.