His Excellency Cevdet Sunay |
|
---|---|
5th President of Turkey | |
In office 28 March 1966 – 28 March 1973 |
|
Prime Minister |
Süleyman Demirel Nihat Erim Ferit Melen |
Preceded by | Cemal Gürsel |
Succeeded by | Fahri Korutürk |
Chief of the General Staff of Turkey | |
In office 4 August 1960 – 16 March 1966 |
|
Preceded by | Ragıp Gümüşpala |
Succeeded by | Cemal Tural |
Commander of the Turkish Army | |
In office 3 June 1960 – 2 August 1960 |
|
Preceded by | Cemal Gürsel |
Succeeded by | Mehmet Muzaffer Alankuş |
Personal details | |
Born | 10 February 1899 Çaykara, Ottoman Empire |
Died | May 22, 1982 Istanbul, Turkey |
(aged 83)
Nationality | Turkish |
Political party | Independent |
Spouse(s) | Atıfet Sunay (1908-2002) |
Children | 3 |
Religion | Sunni Islam |
Signature |
Cevdet Sunay (Turkish: [ˈdʒevdet ˈsunaj]; 10 February 1899 – 22 May 1982) was a Turkish army officer, political leader and the fifth President of Turkey.
Sunay was born in 1899 in Trabzon, in the Ottoman Empire. After attending elementary school and middle school in Erzurum and Edirne, he graduated from Kuleli Military High School in Istanbul. During World War I, he fought in 1917 at the Palestine front and became a prisoner of war of the British in Egypt in 1918. After his release, he fought first on the southern front, then on the western front during the Turkish War of Independence.
Sunay completed his military education in 1927, and graduated from the staff college in 1930 as a staff officer. Rising through the ranks to become a general in 1949 and then a four-star general in 1959, he held important military posts. In 1960, he was appointed army chief and later joint chief of staff. On 14 March 1966, he was appointed to the senate by Cemal Gürsel under his presidential contingency.