His uncle was Ahmed Cevad Pasha, a Grand Vizier during the reign of Sultan Abdülhamid II, and his grandfather was Miralay Mustafa Asım Bey, the Chief of the Ottoman Military Judicial Council.

In 1914, his family faced financial difficulties, prompting his father, Mehmed Şakir Paşa, to move to the Kabaağaçlı farm in Afyon.

[4] His story, dated April 13, 1925, titled "How Those Sentenced to Death in Prison Willingly Go to Their Execution," described the fate of four draft dodgers.

After completing the remainder of his sentence in Istanbul, he returned to Bodrum, where he lived for about 25 years, drawn by his love for its people and natural beauty.

His writings and thoughts significantly influenced prominent intellectuals of his time, such as Azra Erhat, marking him as a key figure in the Turkish humanism movement, known as Mavi Anadoluculuk.

[7][8] His profound engagement with ancient cultures significantly promoted the appreciation of Latin and Greek history and language in Turkey.

During his time in Bodrum, he and his friends pioneered the concept and practice of the Blue Cruise, an approach to sailing that emphasized simplicity and detachment from modern distractions.

He is credited with bringing the fishing and sponge-diving town to the attention of the Turkish intelligentsia and business circles and then to the reading public, thereby starting its journey to become a major international tourist attraction.

Essential items for these voyages included cheese, water, İstanköy rusks, tobacco and rakı, eschewing newspapers and radios to escape from the world and find peace of mind.

[13] The story of the Fisherman of Halicarnassus is featured in his niece Shirin Devrim's 1994 book, A Turkish Tapestry: The Shakirs of Istanbul.