Erka Group

Şerif Ağa

He is the first known grandfather of the Çüçünoğulları. He was born and died in Sirya, with a quiet old age. He was a humble farmer. As a distinguished person, he was qualified to be “ağa”. ⁽³⁾

Mustafa Efendi

He is the son of Şerif Ağa. He was born and raised in Sirya, migrated to Bursa ⁽⁴⁾ with his wife Nazlı Hanım under the leadership of his son Yusuf Agâh Efendi and died there.

Senior Lieutenant Şakir Efendi

He is the first son of Mustafa and Nazlı Hanım. He was born in Sirya in 1844. He spent his childhood with vineyard-garden works as a necessity of time. He studied in the neighborhood school. Once recruited to military service, he stayed as an officer. He became lieutenant commander (kolağası). He served in İspir ⁽⁵⁾ and Bayburt ⁽⁶⁾. He was sent to Epir (Epirus) Front in 1897 Greco-Turkish War. He left his wife Safiye and children first in Manastır (Bitola) then Selanik (Thessaloniki), and after the war, they lived in Pirlepe (Prilep), Avlonya (Vlore, Avlonia) and for a short period of time, in Üsküp (Skopje). He received commendation from the Sultan for his achievements in the war. When peace was made, he became the Head of the Military Branch in Kepsüt ⁽⁷⁾, Balıkesir. He died in Kepsut in 1911. ⁽⁸⁾

Safiye Hanım

She is the wife of Senior Lieutenant Şakir Efendi. Her father is Ali Ağa from Sirya’s Mollaoğulları and her mother is Esma Hanım from Sirya’s Demircigiller lineage. She got married at the age of 14. Senior Lieutenant Şakir Efendi and Safiye Hanım had six children. Osman, Nazire and Ayşe died in a young age, Ali Faik, Emine and Mevlut Fevzi grew up. Emine, the middle child, got married to Hoca Mustafa Kantar from KANTARLAR lineage in 1893. After losing two of her sons in the Gallipoli War in 1915, she became paralytic. She took the “DOKSANBİRLİ” surname in 1935. She continued living beside her daughter and son-in-law. She praised those who worked hard, warned those who did not. Work my son work, working is one’s mirror she would say. She died on November 22, 1938. She was buried to Baruthane Graveyard in Bursa.

Major Ali Faik Bey

Major Ali Faik Bey is the elder son of Senior Lieutenant Şakir Efendi and Safiye Hanım. He was born in Livana ⁽⁹⁾, the town of Batum in 1872. After his living in Sirya, a town of Artvin, he came to Bursa together with his mother, grandfather, and uncle in the 1878 Emigration. After graduating from Bursa Military High School, he graduated from Istanbul War Academy as infantry officer. (March 13, 1895, lieutenant.) He became first lieutenant on August 30, 1899, senior lieutenant on August 8, 1904 and major on November 27, 1911. He was tall, hazel eyes, wheat skinned. In 1905, he married Fatma Hamdiye Hanım whom he met at Hayrabolu ⁽¹⁰⁾ where he was on a temporary duty.

Major Ali Faik Bey’s military service was mostly in the Balkans. In the 1^st Balkan War, he was the Commander of the 2^nd Battalion, 51^st Regiment, 17^th Division, 6^th Manastır Army Corps of the Vardar Army and then the Commander of the 51^st Regiment from October 29, 1912 on. Major Ali Faik Bey, besides many battles he joined, in the Soroviç (Sorovich) Battle together with his brave soldiers creeped the enemy firing lines by drifting at night. He caught the Greeks unawares. Early in the morning, he brought all of them to ruin while sleeping. He ended the Soroviç Battle with a victory. This victory was one of the few Ottoman victories in the 1^st Balkan War. Due to his success, he was requested to be rewarded by promotion. He returned home in 1913 after the war ended, his wife and little daughter whom he had taken with him to the Balkans returned after a while.

For some time, he was the commander of the troops in Söke ⁽¹¹⁾ and Babaeski ⁽¹²⁾. Major Ali Faik Bey could not see much his son born in 1914. When he was on duty in Biga he passed to Gallipoli with his unit to join the Gallipoli War. In the Gallipoli War he was appointed as the Commander of the 1^st Battalion, 33^rd Regiment, 11^th Division, the 4^th Army Corps of the 5^th Army and on April 29, 1915 as the Acting Commander of the 33^rd Regiment. He fell a martyr in glory and sacrifice as befits an Ottoman Officer ⁽¹³⁾ on April 30, 1915 at Kabatepe. He was buried on Çamburnu (Chamburnu) in Gallipoli.

He was known as a firm and calm, iron-hearted, esteemed commander.

Fatma Hamdiye Kabatepe

She is the daughter of Zeliha Hanım and Finance Director Hafız Mehmet Şükrü, who is originally from Eski Zağra (Stara Zagora) ⁽¹⁴⁾, the administrative center of Eski Zağra in Bulgaria, where most of its population is Turks. She was born in Hayrabolu in July 1, 1887, married Ali Faik Bey in 1905. Hamdiye Hanım, taking her little daughter with her, went to Biga, Macedonia, Albania and Serbia together with her husband, and at the end of the Balkan War, she went to Istanbul by ferry and from there she settled in Bursa (1913). During Ali Faik Bey’s first duty in Biga ⁽¹⁵⁾, they had four children, their three sons (Necat, Naci, Münir) died in their childhood during the measles epidemic. A daughter (Ayşe Münciye), who was born in 1908, lived. And a son (Ahmet Naci) who was born in 1914 during Ali Faik Bey’s second duty in Biga, lived.

After her husband having died a martyr during the Gallipoli War, she stayed with her son Ahmet Naci Kabatepe, who was a military officer. She went with him to Menemen, Bayramiç, Pasinler, Gezköy, Simav, Banaz, Lüleburgaz, Manisa, Kurtalan and Bitlis ⁽¹⁶⁾ too. After his son retired in 1960, she first went with him to Bursa and then settled in Istanbul. When the Surname Law had been enacted, after his son taking the last name “KABATEPE”, regarding to Kabatepe, the location where her husband Major Ali Faik Bey had died a martyr during the Gallipoli War, she had adopted the surname “KABATEPE”. She died in Istanbul on June 8, 1974.

Fatma Hamdiye was an intellectual lady, who had dedicated herself to her children, and who was one of the first to wear a coat at the Change of Headgear and Dress Reform..

Emine Kantar

She is the daughter of Senior Lieutenant Şakir Efendi and Safiye Hanım. She was born in Sirya in 1875. She got married to Mustafa Efendi from the Kantarlar lineage on July 22, 1893. Through their marriage of 46 years, she had 14 children, which seven of them died in young age, the other seven lived and even, five of them got education. She died from cancer on October 6, 1939.

She was curious about new and good.

Lieutenant Mehmet Fevzi Efendi

He is the younger son of Senior Lieutenant Şakir Efendi and Safiye Hanım. He was born in Bigadiç ⁽¹⁷⁾. After graduating from Bursa Military High School, he graduated from Istanbul War Academy as ranking second in 1912. He passed exam for staff officer. But just after, he joined the 1^st Balkan War. Lieutenant Mehmet Fevzi Efendi was appointed to 2^nd Company, 1^st Battalion, 38^th Regiment, 13^th Division, 5^th Selanik Army Corps of the Vardar Army. He served at Yanya (Ioannina) and Selanik (Thessaloniki). He was captured as prisoner, taken to Korfu (Corfu) Island. He returned hometown during population exchange.

He was with eyeglasses, blonde hair, blue eyed and weak. He knew French. He was giving lessons to everybody. He was making his translations from French and his books his pillow. He had a book titled “Pirlepe Wars” translated from French. Perceiving the unfair accusations of the author about us, he changed these by saying “translator’s note” and attached the truths. He made translations from Piyer Loti as well. Even he translated “Turkey in Agony” (Zavallı Türkiye), the manuscripts have been damaged throughout the circumstances of that time.

He joined Gallipoli War right after the Balkan War. Lieutenant Mehmet Fevzi Efendi died a martyr in Said Bair (Arıburnu) after having 12 wounds when he was in the 2^nd Company, 1^st Battalion, 77^th Regiment, 19^th Division, 3^rd Army Corps of the 5^th Army. He was at his 25. This regiment was under the command of Mustafa Kemal (Atatürk).

He was a precious officer whose name recorded in handwriting by Atatürk in his Notebook.

Ayşe Münciye Dutu

She is the daughter of Major Ali Faik Bey and Fatma Hamdiye Hanım. She was born in Biga in 1908. She got married to Abdulkadir Dutu who is from a well-known family of Bursa. They had two sons. Their sons received their surname from their uncle, the “KABATEPE” surname. She died on July 23, 1970 in Istanbul.

Colonel Ahmet Naci Kabatepe

He is the only surviving son of Çanakkale martyr Major Ali Faik and Fatma Hamdiye. He was born in Biga ⁽¹⁸⁾ on September 2, 1914. He completed elementary school in Bursa Yıldırım and Hocaalizade schools. He went to Temenyeri Middle School and then to Bursa Military High School. He graduated from Istanbul Military College on August 30, 1934 as a third lieutenant and became a lieutenant on February 28, 1935 when he completed his internship in Maltepe Shooting School. He became a first lieutenant in 1938, senior lieutenant in 1943, major in 1952, lieutenant colonel in 1958 and colonel in 1960. He served in Menemen, Bayramiç, Pasinler, Simav, Banaz, Lüleburgaz, Manisa, Kurtalan and Bitlis. After May 27, 1960, he became the Governor of Bitlis and District Governor of Malazgirt ⁽¹⁹⁾ while he was the Regiment Commander. Also, he served as a Mayor and Garrison Commander for these districts. While he was the Regiment Commander in Bitlis, he retired with his own will on September 2, 1960.

He settled to Bursa after his retirement. Two years later, they moved to Istanbul for their children’s university education. He died in Istanbul on March 26, 1994. Ahmet Naci got married to Süeda Tamer on 8th of October in 1942. When The Surname Law was enforced in 1934, he took the the surname of “KABATEPE” in relation to the Kabatepe hill where his father was martyred.

He was a very democrat officer.

Süeda Kabatepe

She was born in Izmir on May 7, 1923. She is the daughter of Remzi and Vacide Tamer. She finished Tınaztepe Elementary School in Izmir and Izmir Republic Girls Institute. She got married to Ahmet Naci Kabatepe on October 8, 1942. She had a daughter (Sumru Şahin) in 1944 and a son (Erdal Kabatepe) in 1945. She died in Istanbul on January 21, 2017.

As the wife of an officer, she was a lady who lived in various deprived districts in Anatolia and was an exemplary representative of Republic.

Erdal Kabatepe

He is the only son of Colonel Ahmet Naci and Süeda Kabatepe. He was born on February 1, 1945 in Bayramiç, town of Çanakkale. Due to frequent change of locations because of his father’s military service, he received his education in a different school almost every year. (Simav, Banaz, Lüleburgaz, Manisa, Kurtalan, Siirt, Bitlis, Bursa). He graduated from Bursa High School for Boys.

In 1967, he received his BS in Civil Engineering in Robert College (today Bosphorus University) in Istanbul. In 1965-67, he was an assistant in the same department. He received his master’s degree in City Planning at the Middle East Technical University in Ankara and his Certificate in Industrial Projects, at PPC, the University of Bradford (UK).

He worked as an expert and as the Head of Energy Group in the State Planning Organization of the Prime Ministry between 1968-83; as an advisor at the United Nations in Genève in 1980 and in the Energy Department of the World Bank in Washington DC in 1983.

He is the founder of ERKA Group and the Chairman of the Board as of 1984.

He has served in Alumni Association for the Istanbul American Colleges (Ankara); TABA, Turkish-American Businessmen’s Association (the US Chamber of Commerce in Turkey); ECACC, European Council of American Chambers of Commerce; WEEA, World Energy Efficiency Association; TURCEV, Turkish- Environmental Education Foundation; ELSIAD, Association of Electrical Industrialists and Businessmen; TURKAB, EU-Turkey Cooperation Association as a founding chairman/chairman/member of the board of directors/ founding member of the board of trustees/honorary chairman and as the Leader of the LIBERAL MOVEMENT. In 1982, he was elected as “Eisenhower Fellow” by the Eisenhower Exchange Fellowships, Philadelphia, U.S.A. The same year he was elected as Eisenhower Fellow by the Eisenhower Fellows of Taiwan as well and was invited to Taiwan. For years he volunteered as Co-Chairman to the International Advisory Council of the Eisenhower Fellowship Foundation as well as chairman to the “fellows” in Turkey.

During his services in public and private sectors he represented his country in various international meetings and attended conferences as speaker/moderator. He is the first businessperson to initiate business trips in 1992 to Greece and Central Asia, and to lead Turkish and international businesspeople in these regions.

He married Hatice Nazan Akkan on October 28, 1972.

Hatice Nazan Kabatepe

She was born in Polatlı ⁽²⁰⁾, the town of Ankara on January 7, 1949. She is the daughter of Şerif Bedri and Fethiye Akkan. She is a graduate of Istanbul Arnavutköy American College for Girls (today Robert College) and of the Department of Archeology, Faculty of Language, History and Geography of Ankara University. She has a Pedagogical Formation Education Certificate in the same university. Since 1987, she is working as an Independent Educational Planner in ERKA GROUP Inc. where she is the Board Member.

She is the first Turkish consultant who was authorized to be a Certified Educational Planner by IECA, Independent Educational Consultants Association in 1996. She is a member of IACAC, International Association for College Admission Counseling; NACAC, National Association for College Admission Counseling; CIS, Council of International Schools; IECA, Independent Educational Consultants Association and AICEP, American Institute of Certified Educational Planners. She represented OACAC as a delegate in NACAC during 2002-2004 and served as a Secretary General in the Board of OACAC being a member of the Board. Since 2015, she is the Regional Leader for Turkey, IECA Global Committee. She is contributing to the Education Days of CIS in Istanbul since 1998. In the conferences of OACAC (today IACAC) and CIS, and in Turkey, she is making contributions as a speaker on various subjects especially on Turkish Education System.

Besides her publications, her articles, her presentations in national and international conferences, her views on “OVERSEAS EDUCATION” are taken place in the print and visual media. She is a founding member and member of trustees of KALEV, Kadıköy Anatolian Highschool Education Foundation.

She married Erdal Kabatepe on October 28, 1972. They have two boys (Gökçe and Burçe). Gökçe-Gülfem (Demirbaş) Kabatepe have a daughter named İlayda and Burçe Kabatepe has a daughter named Melisa. Burçe Kabatepe had his second marriage with İpek (Bozkurt).

1. Sirya (today’s name Zeytinlik) is a village connected Central district in Artvin province. It used to be a parish center and was connected to approximately 14 nearby villages. “Sirya” means wine. The name comes from Georgia because of the winery they make from grapes. Today, Sirya is under the waters of Deriner Dam.
2. It is known that the locals of Artvin region (Artvin Kipchak Turks) are from the same lineage with Ahıska Turks. Locals of the region are Kipchak Turks and their motherland is Ahıska.
3. “Ağa” is an agnomen given the notables.
4. Bursa: A city in the Southern Marmara Region, Turkey.
5. İspir: A town in Erzurum Province in the Eastern Anatolia Region, Turkey.
6. Bayburt: A city in the Eastern Black Sea Region, Turkey.
7. Kepsut: A town in Balıkesir Province in the Southern Marmara, Turkey.
8. The image is drawn according to the description of Senior Lieutenant Şakir Efendi’s by daughter Emine Kantar Hanım’s son, Mehmet Kantar.
9. Livana: A town near Batumi. Batumi is the capital city of Acara, the autonomous republic of Georgia.
10. Hayrabolu: A town in Kırklareli Province in Thrace, Turkey.
11. Söke: A town and today a large district of Aydın Province in the Aegean Region of Western Turkey.
12. Babaeski: A town in Kırklareli Province in Thrace, Turkey.
13. This is taken from Martyrdom Declaration sent to his family by Acting Commander-in-Chief Enver Pasha. (October 23, 1915)
14. Old Zagra (Stara Zagora), the administrative center of Bulgaria’s Old Zagra province. Majority of the population is Turkish.
15. Biga: A town in Çanakkale Province in South Marmara Region, Turkey.
16. Towns and cities in Turkey.
17. Bigadiç: A town in Balıkesir Province in South Marmara Region, Turkey.
18. Biga: A town in Çanakkale Province in South Marmara Region, Turkey.
19. Malazgirt: A town in Muş Province in East Anatolia, Turkey.
20. Polatlı is a city in Ankara Province in the Central Anatolia region of Turkey.

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