Manyasizâde Refik Bey

He was born in 1854. He is the son of Manyasizâde Rauf Bey, professor of civil law at Istanbul Faculty of Law (Mekteb-i Hukuk-ı Şahane) and a member of the Supreme Court.

He graduated from Galatasaray High School and Istanbul Faculty of Law. He worked as a lawyer and legal counsel in Kavala and Thessaloniki cities. He joined the new Ottomans. He worked as a professor at Law and Political Sciences Faculties at a young age. His professorship was dismissed as he became a member of the Committee of Union and Progress (İttihad ve Terakki Cemiyeti).

In 1908, he served as the Istanbul deputy in the first assembly of the Second Constitutional Monarchy. In the first cabinet, he was assigned to the Ministry of Police (Ministry of Police and Gendarmerie). He resigned from this post very soon. He undertook the duties of the Ministry of Justice in the governments of Grand Vizier Kamil Pasha and Hilmi Pasha. He was elected as the President of Istanbul Bar Association. He was one of the famous lawyers of his time. He had defended the Grand Vizier Ahmet Mithat Pasha and his defendants in Yıldız Court on the grounds that Sultan Abdulaziz was assassinated by them.

He had close friendship with famous names of the freedom struggle, especially Namık Kemal He died on March 4, 1909 at the age of 55. He was buried in Kovacılar Cemetery in Fatih.

He was a precious musician. He did not give much work, as he devoted a lot of time to secret political activities. He played to the famous composer İshak Varon and musician lawyer Hüseyin Tav.

The song sûznak in sengin semai style written by Namık Kemal, gained great appreciation.

• “Zevkin ne ise söyle; hicap eyleme benden”