Mehmed Reshid

Mehmed Reshid
Governor of Diyarbekir
In office 25 March 1915 – 1918?
Preceded by	Hamid Bey
Succeeded by	Office abolished
Personal details
Born	8 February 1873 Russian Empire
Died	6 February 1919(1919-02-06) (aged 45) Allied-occupied Istanbul, Ottoman Empire
Cause of death	Suicide by firearm
Political party	Committee of Union and Progress (CUP)
Spouse	Mazlûme Hanım
Alma mater	Constantinople Military School of Medicine
Profession	Doctor
Known for	1915 genocide in Diyarbekir

Mehmed Reshid (Turkish: Mehmed Raşid Şahingiray; 8 February 1873 – 6 February 1919)^[1] was an Ottoman physician, official of the Committee of Union and Progress, and governor of the Diyarbekir Vilayet (province) of the Ottoman Empire during World War I. He is known for organizing the 1915 genocide of the Armenian and Assyrian communities of Diyarbekir, in which between 144,000 and 157,000 Armenians, Assyrians, and other Christians were killed.^[2] During the Allied occupation of Istanbul, Reshid was arrested and his roles in the massacres were exposed. He later escaped from prison, but committed suicide after being cornered by local authorities.

According to historian Hans-Lukas Kieser, despite being one of the worst perpetrators, Reshid "is perceived as a patriot and martyr in official Turkish-nationalist diction."^[3]