In the final period of the Ottoman Empire and during the establishment of the Republic, Ahmet Akif Bey, who was active in politics, trade and agriculture, served as a member of parliament for Batum in the first term of the Grand National Assembly of Türkiye. Originally from a family rooted in Upper Adjara, Akif Bey engaged in trade after completing his madrasa education and participated in resistance activities in regions under occupation after the First World War. During his parliamentary term, he was particularly active on issues relating to the Elviye-i Selase and Adjara regions, bringing the concerns of the local population to the assembly. After ending his active political life, he settled in Artvin and died in 1944.

Ahmet Akif Bey was born in 1877 in Artvin. Some sources list his birthplace as a village in the Upper Adjara region of Batum. He was the son of Hicabizade Ali Osman Ağa from Upper Adjara. Akif Bey completed his primary and secondary education at a madrasa and later engaged in trade, during which he acquired a good command of Russian.

Following the adoption of the Surname Law, he adopted the surname “Suner.” He is also referred to in some sources as “Khicabizade Ahmed Akif” or “Ahmet Akif Suner.”

After the First World War, during the occupation of Artvin, Ahmet Akif Bey joined resistance movements and served within the national forces fighting against Armenian and Russian troops. With the opening of the Grand National Assembly, he began his parliamentary duties on 3 June 1920 as a deputy for Batum.

In 1920, he was elected alongside Imamzade Mehmed Edip Dinç, Ali Rıza (Adjara), Ahmet Fevzi (Erdem), and Ahmet Nuri Efendi as a representative of the Batum Islamic Society. However, following Batum’s occupation by Georgia on 25 July 1920, Ahmet Akif Bey was granted an indefinite leave by a decision of the Grand National Assembly to investigate the situation in the region. During this nine-month mission, he observed the instability in the area and submitted a detailed report to the General Assembly of the Grand National Assembly on 7 November 1921.

Another significant initiative by Ahmet Akif Bey in parliament was his proposal to admit one hundred children from Adjara into Turkish schools. This proposal was referred to the Ministries of Education, Health and Social Assistance for implementation. After leaving the Eastern Front Command, he returned to his parliamentary duties on 24 September 1921. Although he did not engage in extensive legislative activity during his first term, he made efforts on issues such as the security of the eastern borders and the education of the Adjarians. After the end of his term, he returned to Artvin and continued his commercial activities. He passed away in Artvin on 18 February 1944.