Cevdet Sunay

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Cevdet Sunay (1899-1982) was a Turkish army officer, political leader and the 5th president of Turkey.

He was born in 1899 in Trabzon. After attending elementary school and middle school in Erzurum, Kerkük (today in Iraq) and Edirne, he graduated from Kuleli military high school in İstanbul. 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 military academy 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 March 14, 1966, he was elected to the senate from the presidential contingency.

When president Cemal Gürsel was unable to fulfill his duties due to illness and had to be removed rom office, Cevdet Sunay was elected 5th president by the Grand National Assembly of Turkey on March 28, 1966. He maintained his office despite increasing terrorist activity, student riots, and threatened coups. He served the constitutional term of seven years until March 28, 1973 and became then a permanent senator.

He was married to Atıfet in 1929. They had three children.

Cevdet Sunay died on May 22, 1982 in İstanbul. His body was moved in August 1988 to a permanent burial place in the newly built Turkish State Cemetery in Ankara.

Preceded by: Ragıp Gümüşpala	Chief of the General Staff of Turkey 1960–1966	Succeeded by: Cemal Tural
Preceded by: Cemal Gürsel	President of Turkey 1966–1973	Succeeded by: Fahri Korutürk

Presidents of the Republic of Turkey v • d • e
Mustafa Kemal Atatürk • İsmet İnönü • Celal Bayar • Cemal Gürsel • Cevdet Sunay • Fahri Koruturk • Kenan Evren • Turgut Özal • Süleyman Demirel • Ahmet Necdet Sezer

	Chiefs of the General Staff of Turkey
	İnönü | Çakmak | Orbay | Omurtak | Gürman | Yamut | Baransel | Tunaboylu | Mengüç | Erdelhun | Gümüşpala | Sunay | Tural | Tağmaç | Gürler | Sancar | Evren | Ersin | Üruğ | Torumtay | Güreş | Karadayı | Kıvrıkoğlu | Özkök | Büyükanıt