Agaoglu, Ahmet

Ahmet Agaoglu was a notable journalist and publicist in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Known in the Azerbaijani and Turkish cultures, he is also recognized as one of the founders of pan-Turkism, a movement that aimed to unify all Turkic people. Since he spoke five languages and was a graduate of the Universities in Saint Petersburg as well as the Sorbonne University, he often wrote articles centering on current affairs for a number of newspapers abroad. Ahmet also wrote a book in 1901 called Woman in the Islamic World that raised awareness of equal rights for women.

In 1908, Ahmet moved to Istabul in order to flee police and possible imprisonment. He became an advocate of the Ottoman expansion policies to unite all Turkic nations along with other pan-Turkish writers Yusuf Akcura and Ali bey Heseynzade. In 1918, Ahmet moved back to Azerbaijan and was elected to the Parliament. He was chosen to represent the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic at the Paris Peace Conference in 1919, but was not able to do so because he was imprisoned by the British.

The Soviet Union took over Azerbaijan and Ahmet had to move back to Turkey. There, he worked as the editor in chief of the Hakimiyet-i Milliye. He also was a devoted consultant of Ataturk, who was the originator of the contemporary Turkish Republic. In 1939, he passed away.

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