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BY Francis Akhalbey, 11:00am May 15, 2018,

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A spotlight on pilots of African ancestry who fought in World War I

by Francis Akhalbey, 11:00am May 15, 2018,

A spotlight on pilots of African ancestry who fought in World War I

Ahmet Ali Çelikten

Ahmet Ali Çelikten

Born to an Afro-Turk father and a woman of Nigerian descent in 1883 in the Ottoman Empire (also known as Turkey), Ahmet Ali Çelikten is widely regarded as one of the first black military pilots in the history of aviation.

A spotlight on pilots of African ancestry who fought in World War I

Ottoman Pilots in 1915. Ahmet Ali Çelikten is standing next to the propeller.

A member of the Ottoman Airforce, Ali Çelikten fought for the Ottoman Empire during the First World War. His grandmother was brought to the Ottoman Empire as a slave from Bornu in Nigeria.

Last Edited by:Francis Akhalbey Updated: May 15, 2018

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