Ali was a member of various historical societies and was the publisher of the Ta'rih ve-Edebiyyat as well as the editor of the Divan Luğat al-Turk of Mahmud Kashgari. Although he was known as an editor he did write historical and literary works. He was a key figure in the classification of the archives of the Sublime Porte in Istanbul, giving his name to one of the catalogues, Ali Emiri tasnifi.[2]