Ahmed Djemal was born in Mytilene, Lesbos, to Mehmet Nesip Bey, a military pharmacist.

Destined for the army, Djemal graduated from Kuleli Military High School in 1890.
 He went on to the Military Academy (Mektebi Harbiyeyi Şahane), the staff college in Istanbul, in 1893.
 He was posted to serve with the 1st Department of the Imperial General Staff (Seraskerlik Erkânı Harbiye), and then he worked at the Kirkkilise Fortification Construction Department bound to Second Army.
 Djemal was assigned to the II Corps in 1896; being appointed two years later, the staff commander of Novice Division, stationed on the Salonica frontier.

Meanwhile, he began to sympathize with the reforms of Committee of Union and Progress (CUP) on military issues.
It was in 1905 that Djemal was promoted to major and designated Inspector of Roumelia Railways.
 The following year he signalled his democratic credentials and joined the Ottoman Liberty Society.
 He became influential in the department of military issues of the Committee of Union and Progress.
He became a member of the Board of the III Corps in 1907.
Here, he worked with future Turkish statesmen Major Fethi (Okyar) and Mustafa Kemal (Atatürk), although Atatürk soon developed a rivalry with Djemal Pasha and his colleagues over their policies after they seized power in 1913.
Between 1908 and 1918, Djemal was one of the most important leaders of the Ottoman government.
Following the Young Turk Revolution in 1908 he became a member of the central committee (Merkezi Umum-i) of the CUP and later was deployed as a Kaymakam to Üsküdar, Constantinople and in 1909 he was assigned as a Wāli to the Adana Vilayet.
Ahmed Djemal was born in Mytilene, Lesbos, to Mehmet Nesip Bey, a military pharmacist.
Destined for the army, Djemal graduated from Kuleli Military High School in 1890.  He went on to the Military Academy (Mektebi Harbiyeyi Şahane), the staff college in Istanbul, in 1893.  He was posted to serve with the 1st Department of the Imperial General Staff (Seraskerlik Erkânı Harbiye), and then he worked at the Kirkkilise Fortification Construction Department bound to Second Army.  Djemal was assigned to the II Corps in 1896; being appointed two years later, the staff commander of Novice Division, stationed on the Salonica frontier.
Meanwhile, he began to sympathize with the reforms of Committee of Union and Progress (CUP) on military issues. It was in 1905 that Djemal was promoted to major and designated Inspector of Roumelia Railways.  The following year he signalled his democratic credentials and joined the Ottoman Liberty Society.  He became influential in the department of military issues of the Committee of Union and Progress. He became a member of the Board of the III Corps in 1907. Here, he worked with future Turkish statesmen Major Fethi (Okyar) and Mustafa Kemal (Atatürk), although Atatürk soon developed a rivalry with Djemal Pasha and his colleagues over their policies after they seized power in 1913. Between 1908 and 1918, Djemal was one of the most important leaders of the Ottoman government. Following the Young Turk Revolution in 1908 he became a member of the central committee (Merkezi Umum-i) of the CUP and later was deployed as a Kaymakam to Üsküdar, Constantinople and in 1909 he was assigned as a Wāli to the Adana Vilayet.
Djemal Pasha