Sarim Kibar was born in 1873 in Salonica as a member of a Karakash family. Along with his brothers Hikmet, Osman Fettan, Riza, and Fadil, he headed commercial enterprises known as “Kibar Ali Mahdumlar” (or “Kibar Ali Brothers”), which operated in Salonica and Istanbul. From 1903-4 onwards, he was involved in the management of the Feyziye School alongside his brothers Osman Fettan and Riza. On March 6, 1908, he joined the Perseverancia lodge in Salonica, affiliated with the Spanish obedience (this lodge also included his four brothers and towering political figures such as Cavit Bey). After the proclamation of the Second Constitutional Era, he led the “Boycott Society,” established with the support of the Committee of Union and Progress (CUP) to protest against the annexation of Bosnia by the Austro-Hungarian Empire. On November 25, 1908, he became a member of the ‘Constitution lodge’ founded in Istanbul. The boycott ended in February 1909. That same year, his brother Fadil Kibar secured several privileges (such as the monopole of cigarette and match sales within the Empire) for their company through the Navy Association, an institution supported and funded by the CUP.

On June 25, 1909, Sarim Kibar joined the administration of the Supreme Council of Freemasons, the head office monitoring and regulating all Masonic affairs in Ottoman territories. In October 1909, he organized a comprehensive trip to Austria-Hungary involving leading politicians and prominent merchants of his time.

From 1909 onwards, Sarim and Fadil Kibar made significant contributions to Hilal-i Ahmer (Red Crescent) and other charitable organizations. Their financial support extended to CUP-backed newspapers like Tanin and to the Feyziye School. Their dominance in the cigarette market caused discomfort among other merchants and even among British diplomatic circles. It appears there was a division of labor among the brothers: while Sarim and Fadil Kibar were more engaged in politics and commerce, Riza and, to some extent, Osman Fettan focused on the operations and financing of Feyziye School.

Known for their close ties to Finance Minister Cavit Bey, Sarim and Fadil Kibar faced challenges when the political winds turned against the CUP. In November 1912, both brothers, along with Cavit Bey, had to rush out of the country for fear of persecution. However, their political connections remained intact. Tahsin Uzer recalled in his memoirs that on the eve of the 1913 Bab-i Ali Coup, some revolutionaries, including himself, stayed at Fadil Kibar’s house. With the CUP’s consolidation of power in 1913, the Kibar Ali brothers resumed their activities in commerce and politics. Sarim Kibar joined the leadership of the National Defense Society, established by CUP leaders, and participated in the Ottoman-Russian Society, formed in April 1914 to ease tensions with Russia. In June 1914, he became a founding member and leading administrator of the Muslim Merchants Society.

During World War I, the Kibar Ali brothers expanded their commercial operations into the hugely profitable silk and sugar trade, alongside their ongoing cigarette and match production business. Their close relationship with Cavit Bey and Topal Ismail Hakki Pasha, uncontested head of the Ottoman military logistics operations, sparked various rumors of corruption. Their support for charitable organizations increased dramatically during this period. In March 1917, Sarim Kibar, under Cavit Bey's patronage, joined the board of the newly established National Credit Bank, where he remained highly active until his resignation in 1924 (that same year, Fadil Kibar co-founded the Economic Joint-Stock Company with other Salonican merchants).

Following the end of the war and the fall of the CUP government, the Kibar Ali brothers' fortunes declined. From December 1918, newspapers scrutinized their wartime activities linked to Cavit Bey. In March 1919, Fadil Kibar was arrested (Sarim was likely abroad at the time). In June 1919, documents from Fadil's business were confiscated, but he was released on July 8, only to face new charges on July 27. During this period, British inspectors investigated Sarim Kibar's textile and silk operations connected to the National Credit Bank. The Bank denied all allegations of fraud and profiteering. Despite strong political pressure, Sarim did not resign from the bank's board. On March 6, 1920, he was elected vice president of the Istanbul Chamber of Commerce. During the Armistice period, he provided substantial financial support to Cavit Bey, now in exile. In October 1920, Fadil Kibar was convicted of market manipulation related to his soap, coffee, flour, wheat, and similar businesses, but the Kibar Ali brothers continued their operations. The family remained a dominant commercial power in the Samsun tobacco market and active in Izmir and Istanbul. Their charitable contributions to various organizations continued unabated.

With the success of the Turkish National Resistance Movement and the proclamation of the Republic, the Kibars continued their commercial activities vigorously. Sarim Kibar served as the vice president of the Istanbul Chamber of Commerce until at least 1925. He resigned from the National Credit Bank's board in 1924. From late 1925, he served as the honorary consul of Sweden in Samsun. At this point, he seems to have primarily focused on its tobacco export operations in and around Samsun. In 1927, he led the establishment of the “Isik” Masonic lodge in that same city. He simultaneously served on the boards of other commercial entities such as Mehmet Balci Enterprises Inc. His brother Fadil founded a textile factory in Istanbul and ran an insurance agency. Although exact dates are to be determined, we know that they have also ventured into maritime transport.

Despite their efforts, the Kibars' business sharply declined around 1929-30. The main tobacco company declared bankruptcy, Fadil's Sisli factory burned down, and the Economic Joint-Stock Company of which Fadil was a board member, collapsed. In 1930, Riza Kibar's son was killed in a mysterious gun attack in Samsun. By 1932, the family lost control of the Feyziye School. Nevertheless, they continued trading, particularly in tobacco, albeit on a smaller scale. In 1937, Fadil Kibar died of a heart attack while inspecting a mining venture in Eskisehir, co-owned with Selahattin Adil Pasha. Little information exists about Sarim's activities during this time, but it appears his son, Ali Sarum Kibar, took over the tobacco business. Although they survived the economic crisis of the early 1930s, the Kibar Ali brothers never regained the prominence they enjoyed during the Second Constitutional Era, under the helm of the İTC.

Sarim Kibar, long-time vice president of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry, board member of the National Credit Bank, and described in his obituary as one of the “leaders of national economy movement,” passed away on April 14, 1945.

Author: Arda Ekşigil