Who is Vecihi Hürkuş and His Life
He is one of the most well-known, the bravest aviator, the best pilot, and the most important person in the history of Turkish aviation. He opened his eyes to the world in January 1896. Vecihi Hürkuş, born in Istanbul, had a father who was a customs inspector. His name was Ali Feham Bey. His mother was born in Vidan. Her name was Zeliha Niyir Hanım. He was brought to Istanbul at a very young age due to circumstances. His father passed away when he was a baby, and he stayed with his mother and extended family. After these events, they moved in with his uncle, Ahmed Şekür Bey. His uncle was a teacher of fencing and painting. He was working at the Military Academy. Hürkuş was the middle child among his 2 siblings. He completed his primary education in Bebek. After that, he completed his education at Füyuzati Osmaniye Rüştiyesi and Paşakapısı İdadisi. Hürkuş, who loved art and was very curious about it, decided to study at the Topkapı School of Arts and finished it, like others.
His Life;
In 1912, he voluntarily went to the Balkan War with his brother-in-law, Colonel Kemal Bey. He was part of the forces that entered Edirne during the Balkan War. Immediately after this war, he was appointed as the commander of the prisoner-of-war camp based in Beykoz Servi burun. Vecihi Hürkuş's only dream since childhood was to become an aviator. Because he was young, he entered the machinist school. After graduating from there, he completed the Aviator Machinist School with the title of Junior Officer. During World War I, he was sent to Baghdad with the title of machinist. Upon his arrival, he had to return to Istanbul, his homeland, in 1916, due to a minor airplane crash. Immediately after returning, he joined another aviation school. After graduating from there, he became an aviator. Hürkuş completed his first flight with the title of pilot on May 21, 1916. On November 15, 1916, he fully earned the title of aviator and received his pilot's diploma. In the autumn of 1917, he achieved great success on the Caucasus Front in an offensive against Russia. He even shot down a Russian plane in an aerial battle. After this event, he went down in history as the first Turkish aviator to shoot down an airplane.
