10 Facts About Fakhri Pasha

Omer Fahrettin Turkkan, commonly known as Fakhri Pasha and nicknamed the Defender of Medina, was a Turkish career officer, who was the commander of the Ottoman Army and governor of Medina from 1916 to 1919.

Fakhri Pasha joined the War Academy and in 1888 graduated from it.

Fakhri Pasha's first posting was on the eastern border with Armenia in the Fourth Army.

Fakhri Pasha's unit recaptured Adrianople from Bulgaria and he entered into the city along with Enver Pasha.

Fakhri Pasha was promoted to the rank of Mirliva on 12 November 1914 and appointed to the Deputy Commander of the Fourth Army stationed in Aleppo.

Fakhri Pasha protected the single-track narrow gauge Hejaz Railway from sabotage by the Hejazi army Turkish garrisons of the isolated small train stations withstood the continuous night attacks and secured the tracks against increasing number of attacks.

Fahreddin Fakhri Pasha had said that he had a vision in a dream that the prophet Muhammad had ordered him not to submit.

Fakhri Pasha refused to hand over his sword even upon the receipt of a direct order from the Ottoman minister of war.

Fakhri Pasha refused to do so and kept the flag of the Ottoman Sultan flying in Medina until 72 days after the end of the war.

Fahreddin Fakhri Pasha died on 22 November 1948, after suffering a heart attack during a train trip in the vicinity of Eskisehir.