| Kâzım Özalp | |
| Office1: | Speaker of the Parliament of Turkey |
| Term Start1: | 26 November 1924 |
| Term End1: | 1 March 1935 |
| President1: | Mustafa Kemal Atatürk |
| Primeminister1: | İsmet İnönü |
| Predecessor1: | Ali Fethi Okyar |
| Successor1: | Mustafa Abdülhalik Renda |
| Office2: | Minister of National Defense |
| Term Start2: | 1 March 1935 |
| Term End2: | 18 January 1939 |
| President2: | Mustafa Kemal Atatürk İsmet İnönü |
| Primeminister2: | İsmet İnönü Celal Bayar |
| Successor2: | Ahmet Naci Tınaz |
| Term Start3: | 10 January 1922 |
| Term End3: | 21 November 1924 |
| President3: | Mustafa Kemal Atatürk |
| Primeminister3: | Rauf Orbay İsmet İnönü |
| Predecessor3: | Refet Bele |
| Successor3: | Ali Fethi Okyar |
| Birth Name: | Kâzım Fikri |
| Birth Date: | 17 February 1882 |
| Birth Place: | Köprülü (Veles), Kosovo Vilayet, Ottoman Empire |
| Death Place: | Ankara, Turkey |
| Party: | Republican People's Party |
| Nickname: | Kâzım Köprülü |
| Rank: | General |
| Commands: | Van Gendarmerie Regiment, Van Mobile Gendarmerie Division, 36th Division, 37th Caucasian Division, VI Corps (deputy), 60th Division, 61st Division, XIV Corps (deputy), Kocaeli Area Command, III Corps, Minister of National Defense |
Kâzım Özalp (17 February 1882[1] – 6 June 1968) was a Turkish military officer, politician, and one of the leading figures in the Turkish War of Independence.
Born in Köprülü (now Veles, North Macedonia), in the Kosovo Vilayet of the Ottoman Empire into an Albanian family, Kâzım Fikri graduated from the Ottoman Military College in 1902 and completed the College of War in 1905.[2] Kâzım Özalp was involved in the 31 March Incident in 1909. He was a military commander of the Ottoman forces during the Balkan Wars. In 1917, he was promoted to the rank of the colonel during World War I. He was one of the military commanders who organized resistance groups against the occupation of Izmir by Greek forces. During the Turkish War of Independence, he fought at several fronts. In 1921, Kâzım Özalp was promoted to the rank General for his success at the Battle of Sakarya. After the Kurdish Sheikh Said Rebellion was subdued, he contributed to the Report for Reform of the East, which advised to establish Inspectorates General in the eastern provinces of Turkey and crush the Kurdish elite in the region.[3]
Already a member of the first term of the parliament of the newly established Republic as an MP from Balıkesir Province, Kâzım Fikri served as the Minister of Defense in several cabinets from 1921 to 1925, and later from 1935 to 1939. He was elected Speaker of the Turkish Grand National Assembly from 1924 to 1935. In 1950, he was elected to the parliament as an MP from Van Province.[4] He retired from active politics in 1954. He was rumored to have been a Bektashi possibly because of his opposition to the decision to close Bektashi centers (Tekke).[4]
Kâzım Özalp wrote his memoirs in his book Milli Mücadele ("National Warfare"). He died on 6 June 1968 in Ankara. His remains were transferred to the Turkish State Cemetery.