Refik Koraltan

Refik Koraltan (1889 – June 17, 1974) was a Turkish politician, having served as the Speaker of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey (TBMM) from May 22, 1950, to May 27, 1960. Biography 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. Political career 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.