Halil Rifat Pasha

• Name — Halil Rifat Pasha خلیل رفعت پاشا • Honorific Suffix — Pasha • Office1 — Mutasarrıf of Vidin • Term Start1 — 1882 • Term End1 — 1886 • Office2 — Governor of Sivas Vilayet • Term Start2 — 1886 • Term End2 — 1889 • Office3 — Governor of Aidin Vilayet • Term Start3 — 1889 • Term End3 — 1891 • Predecessor3 — Nafiz Pasha • Successor3 — Abdurrahman Nurettin Pasha • Office4 — Governor of Manastir Vilayet • Term Start4 — 1891 • Term End4 — 1893 • Office5 — Grand Vizier of the Ottoman Empire • Monarch5 — Abdul Hamid II • Term Start5 — 7 November 1895 • Term End5 — 9 November 1901 • Predecessor5 — Kâmil Pasha • Successor5 — Mehmed Said Pasha • Born — 1820 • Birthplace — Serres, Sanjak of Serres, Salonica Vilayet, Ottoman Empire • Died — 9 November 1901 • Place of death — Istanbul, Ottoman Empire

He was born in Serres (Serez) and received education in an Islamic type parish school in Selanik (Thessaloniki), then continued to Mekteb-i Mülkiye in Constantinople.

After his education years, he started to work as a mailing clerk in Vidin, then worked as secretary in the office of the Governor of Salonika. He advanced by degrees and was appointed to higher official positions by passage of time, including at Rustchuk. In 1882 he was appointed as mutasarrıf of Vidin, then in 1886 he was appointed as governor of Sivas, where he started a road-building programme. He was subsequently appointed governor of Aidin (1889) and later of Monastir, where he fought brigandage units which was rife in the province. He was appointed as minister of internal affairs in 1893. Then he was appointed as grand vizier in November 1895. The most important events in his era as grand vizier were the riots of Sason (in 1895) and in Crete (in 1897), as well as the Greco-Turkish War of 1897 which ended with Ottoman victory.

His motto in the road building campaign was "Any place where you can't go is not yours" (Gidemediğin yer senin değildir.)

The authorities additionally record the heading Halil Rıfat Paşa. His recorded languages were Turkish, Ottoman Turkish, Persian and Arabic. His recorded confession was Islam. Other recorded relations include Vedat Örfi Bengü.

Halil Rifat Pasha is recorded as politician, statesperson, political writer and poet.