Huseyin Pehlivan (Huseyin Alkaya), also known as Huseyin Pehlivan from Tekirdag, was born in 1908 in the village of Alkaya in Kardzhali. He began wrestling at the age of 14 and, along with his family, immigrated to Turkiye in 1927, settling in Tekirdag. He adopted the name of his birthplace as his surname.

Tekirdag is known as the "Land of the Three Kemals" because of the great leader Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the poet Yahya Kemal Beyatli, and the national poet Namik Kemal, who hold a special significance for the city.