Vecihi Hürkuş; He is a pilot, engineer and entrepreneur who has devoted his life to the development of the Turkish aviation industry. He is considered to be the first aircraft designer and manufacturer of Turkey. It was called “Black Danger” because it shot down Russian planes during the War of Independence. Hürkuş, who received the title of “Master Chief” in a short time, established Turkey’s first aviation school. Along with the Surname Law, he took the surname “Hürkuş”, which he carried throughout his life. Hürkuş, who is famous for his planes and piloting, has been the subject of films and documentaries about his struggles to overcome the obstacles he encounters.
The Only Person Given Three Commendations by the Turkish Grand National Assembly
Vecihi Hürkuş; He was born in Istanbul on January 6, 1896. He attended primary school in Istanbul. When he was wounded during World War I, he returned to Istanbul and entered the Aircraft School in Yeşilköy and graduated as a pilot. During the First World War, he received a pilot’s badge and participated in the operation against the Russians in the 7th Aircraft Company and made successful reconnaissance and bombardment flights. He also shot down a Russian plane in an air battle, thus becoming Turkey’s first plane crasher. Vecihi Hürkuş, who was captured during the war, managed to escape via Iran by swimming from Nargin Island in the Azerbaijan part of the Caspian Sea. Returning to his homeland, he served in the 9th War Aircraft Division stationed in Yeşilköy at the beginning of the summer of 1918.
Vecihi Hürkuş also played an active role during the Turkish War of Independence. He continued his fighter aircraft design project, which was left unfinished with the signing of the Mudros Armistice Agreement. He made very successful reconnaissance and support flights, especially during the Battle of İnönü and Sakarya. He shot down a Greek plane and made the first and last flight of the War of Independence. He was also the first person to enter the Izmir (Gaziemir – Seydiköy) airport and try to save it from the occupation. Vecihi Hürkuş was awarded the Medal of Independence with a red stripe and is considered the only person to be given a commendation three times by the Turkish Grand National Assembly.
Manufactured First Turkish Plane, Received Penalty Instead of Award
After the war, Vecihi Hürkuş started training new aviators in İzmir. He was tasked with picking up a passenger plane that accidentally landed in Edirne. When the plane was named “VECIHİ” in return for its service, the ideas of building an airplane were revived. He continued his aircraft construction project at Izmir Seydiköy Air School (today’s Gaziemir Air Technical Schools Command). In 1923, he manufactured the first Turkish airplane, using the engines seized from the Greeks as booty. On January 28, 1925, he flew his plane named “VECIHI K-VI”, but received a penalty instead of a reward. The reason why Vecihi Hürkuş was punished while waiting for a reward is that there is no one who understands aviation and he took off without permission by building airplanes.
Later, he left military aviation and continued his work on aircraft design and construction. Vecihi Hürkuş, who devoted himself to aviation, is one of the important names in Turkish aviation history. He is also one of the interesting figures in the history of Turkey.
Aircraft Manufacturing in the Lumber Shop
In 1930, he leased a lumber shop in Kadıköy and manufactured the first Turkish civil aircraft, actually the second aircraft, VECIHİ XIV, within three months. It made its first flight on September 27, 1930 in Kadıköy Fikirtepe, in front of a large crowd and press. He then flew with VECIHI XIV to Yesilkoy and Ankara. However, when he applied to the Ministry of Economics for the Airworthiness Certificate, he received an answer that “The required document was not given because there was no one to determine the technical qualifications of the aircraft”.
Thereupon, Vecihi Hürkuş went to Czechoslovakia to get the plane’s documents. After all kinds of flight and technical control of the aircraft were made there, the flight was allowed. Hürkuş was honored with a ceremony by the authorities in Czechoslovakia on April 23, 1931. He was awarded with a banner that read “Long Live Turkish Aircraft” by getting a flight permit. He set off by flying from Czechoslovakia to Turkey on April 25, 1931 and returned to Turkey on May 5, 1931.
Trained the First Turkish Female Pilot Bedriye Gökmen
In 1932, Vecihi Hürkuş opened the Civil Aircraft School, the first Turkish Civil Aviation School. He trained 12 pilots together with Bedriye Gökmen, who was the first Turkish female pilot at the school. Turkey’s first civilian aircraft VECIHI XIV, the first training and sports aircraft VECIHI XV, and 160 hp Mercedes aircraft powered mermaid VECIHI SK-X were produced in Istanbul Kalamış-Kadıköy. Nuri Demirağ gave 5,000 TL for the construction of an airplane and thus, the VECIHI XVI cabin plane, named NURİ BEY, was built by Vecihi Hürkuş in 1933. While training, Vecihi made advertisements for some institutions, such as TEKEL Administration and Türkiye İş Bankası, under difficult conditions, and received the help of some patriotic authorities.
In 1937, the Turkish Aeronautical Association sent Vecihi Hürkuş to receive engineering education at an engineering school in Germany. Vecihi Hürkuş, who returned to his country after graduating in 1939, was not given an “aircraft engineer” license on the grounds that it was impossible to become an engineer in two years. He founded the first civilian airline, Hürkuş Airlines, in 1954, but the company was banned from flying due to accidents, kidnappings and sabotage. Vecihi Hürkuş, one of the most productive and enterprising figures in the history of Turkish aviation, passed away in 1969 at the Gülhane Military Medical Academy Hospital in Ankara.
