Shukri al-Quwatli

شكري القوتلي (Known as "Al-Quwatli")

First President of Post-Independence Syria, Pan-Arab Statesman

Born 1891

Damascus, Syria

Passed Away 30 June 1967 Beirut, Lebanon

Lifespan 76 years old

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Notice / Correction

"I have relinquished my presidential chair with joy, because the unity of the Arab nation is greater than any personal glory."

Archival Overview

First President of post-independence Syria (1943-1949, 1955-1958) who voluntarily relinquished power to form the United Arab Republic.

Biographical Record

Shukri al-Quwatli was born in Damascus and studied political science in Istanbul, joining secret Arab nationalist societies before World War I. Sentenced to death by Ottoman authorities in 1916, he attempted suicide in prison to avoid betraying comrades under torture, surviving to become a foremost leader of the National Bloc against French colonial rule.

Elected president in 1943, Quwatli oversaw the final evacuation of French troops in April 1946. Re-elected in 1955, his ardent belief in Arab unity led him in 1958 to take the unprecedented step of voluntarily stepping down as head of state to merge Syria and Egypt into the United Arab Republic under Gamal Abdel Nasser.

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Final Resting Place

Perpetual Memorial

Bab al-Saghir Cemetery
Damascus, Syria

                         GPS: 33.5040, 36.3050                    

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