MEHMET NACİ PERKEL

A graduate of the Turkish Military Academy, Mehmet Naci Perkel joined the army with the rank of lieutenant  and took active role in Balkan War (1912-1913). He fought in Iraq Front in WWI. He was taken as prisoner of war by the British in 1915 at Kut al-Amara, and was held in camps in India for 5 years. Upon his release in 1920, Perkel returned to Istanbul. In early 1922, he joined the National Army and was assigned to the Western Front.

During the Republic era, he was appointed to MAH Headquarters as Staff Major in 1929; he was promoted to Deputy Director in 1934. Later same year he retired from the Turkish Armed Forces. After the resignation of Şükrü Âli Ögel, he was appointed as the Director of Organization on 1 August 1941, and served in this position until 3 September 1953. On 13 October 1953, he was appointed as the Ambassador to Baghdad; in 1954 he was retired on age grounds.