Hikmat Sulayman

Born 1889 in Al-Basrah; died 1968. Political and state figure of Iraq.

A Turk by origin, Hikmat Sulayman was educated at the University of Istanbul. From 1925 to 1933 he held a number of ministerial posts in Iraq. In 1934 he joined the patriotic organization Al-Ahali (founded 1931) and became one of its leaders. In October 1936, after a group of officers headed by General Bakr Sidqi came to power, Hikmat Sulayman formed and headed the “national reform” government and also occupied the post of minister of internal affairs. His government announced and began to implement a program of national democratic reforms, including encouragement of national industry, distribution of land to landless peasants, and improvement of the social security system. In August 1937, however, Hikmat Sulayman retired from office after the murder of Bakr Sidqi and the departure from the government of the leftist members of Al-Ahali.