TÜMGENERAL
Major General
RÜŞTÜ SAKARYA
1877-1951
Tümgeneral Mehmet Rüştü SAKARYA 1877 yılında İstanbul’da doğdu. Harp Okulundan 1895 yılında teğmen rütbesiyle mezun oldu. 1897 Osmanlı-Yunan Harbi’nde 2’nci Ordu 12’nci Nizamiye Alayı 1’inci Tabur 3’üncü Bölüğünde görev yaptı. 18 Aralık 1898’de yüzbaşılığa, 10 Temmuz 1902’de kıdemli yüzbaşılığa, 1903’te binbaşılığa, 18 Haziran 1909’da yarbaylığa terfi etti. 1911 yılına kadar ordunun çeşitli kademelerinde görev aldı.
22 Eylül 1911’de 1’inci Kolordu 6’ncı Alay komutanı oldu. 19 Ekim 1912’de albay olan Mehmet Rüştü SAKARYA, Balkan Savaşlarına 6’ncı Alay komutanı olarak katıldı. 6 Ocak 1914’te 5’inci Ordu 16’ncı Tümen komutanı olarak atandı. Birinci Dünya Savaşı’na bu görevle başladı. 8 Aralık 1918’de esir düştü ve Mısır’da
8 ay kaldı. Esaretten döndükten sonra 12 Kasım 1919’da 1’inci Tümen komutanı olarak tayin edildi. 18 Kasım 1920’de Tetkik ve Tazyif-i Zabitan Komisyonuna atandı. 6 Temmuz 1921’de İnebolu’dan Anadolu’ya geçti ve Millî Mücadele’ye katıldı.
16 Ağustos 1921’de 61’inci Tümen komutanı oldu. 12 Eylül 1921’de tümgeneralliğe terfi etti. 11 Ekim 1921’de Konya Bölge komutanı ve 4’üncü Kolordu Asker Alma Kurulu başkanı olarak atandı. Bu arada ek görev olarak altı ay kadar Konya vali vekilliği görevinde bulundu. Haziran 1923’te Ankara Üstsubay ve Subay Askerî Mahkeme başkanı olarak atandı. 3 Şubat 1924’te İstanbul 2 Numaralı Üstsubay ve Subay Askerî Mahkeme başkanı, 12 Şubat 1933’te Askerî Yargıtay üyesi olarak atandı.
25 Mart 1934’te emekli oldu. Osmanlı Devleti, Yunanistan, Alman İmparatorluğu ve Avusturya-Macaristan İmparatorluğu tarafından verilen çeşitli nişan ve madalyalar ile TBMM tarafından verilen İstiklal Madalyası sahibi olan Mehmet Rüştü SAKARYA, 2 Aralık 1951’de vefat etmiştir.
Major General Mehmet Rüştü SAKARYA was born in Istanbul in 1877. He graduated from the Military Academy as a lieutenant in 1895. During Ottoman-Greek War, he served in the 3rd Company of the 1st Battalion of the 12th Nizamiye (Regular) Regiment of the 2nd Army in 1897. He was promoted to the rank of captain on December 18, 1898; lieutenant commander on July 10, 1902; major in 1903 and lieutenant colonel on June 18, 1909. He served in varied positions in the army until 1911. He became the commander of the 6th Regiment of the 1st Corps on September 22, 1911. Mehmet Rustu SAKARYA who became colonel on October 19, 1912 participated in Balkan Wars as the commander of the 6th Regiment. He was appointed as the commander of the 16th Division of the 5th Army in January 1914. He entered the First World War with this duty. He was captured on December 8, 1918 and was held in Egypt for 8 months. After returning from captivity, he was appointed as the commander of the 1st Division on November 12, 1919. He was appointed to Investigation and Defamation Officers Commission (Tetkik ve Tazyif-i Zabitan Komisyonu) on November 18, 1920. He passed from Inebolu to Anatolia on July 6, 1921 and participated in War of Independence. He became the commander of 61st Division on August 16, 1921. He was promoted to the rank of major general on September 12, 1921. He was appointed as the regional commander of Konya and the head of Local Board on October 11, 1921. He additionally served as lieutenant governor of Konya for six months. He was appointed as the chief of Military Court of Senior Officers and Officers of Ankara in June, 1923. He was appointed as the chief of Senior Officers and Officers Military Court No. 2 of Istanbul on February 3, 1924, and as the member of Military Court of Appeals on February 12, 1933. He retired on March 25, 1934. Mehmet Rustu SAKARYA who had various decorations and medals decorated by the Ottoman Empire, Greece, German Empire and the Austro-Hungarian Empire as well as the Independence Medal decorated by Turkish Grand National Assembly (TGNA), passed away on December 2, 1951.
