Cevdet Sunay

2025-10-29T12:26:46Z

2600:1002:A013:C14F:586:FD31:5BCD:ED91:

{{Short description|President of Turkey from 1966 to 1973}}
{{More citations needed|date=April 2024}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2019}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Cevdet Sunay
| nationality = Turkish
| image = Turkse chef Generale staf (Generaal Sunay), Bestanddeelnr 916-7535 (cropped).jpg
| image_size =
| order =
| office = [[President of Turkey]]
| term_start = 28 March 1966
| term_end = 28 March 1973
| primeminister = [[Süleyman Demirel]] [[Nihat Erim]] [[Ferit Melen]]
| predecessor = [[Cemal Gürsel]]
| successor = [[Fahri Korutürk]]
| order2 = [[Chief of the General Staff of Turkey]]
| term_start2 = 4 August 1960
| term_end2 = 16 March 1966
| predecessor2 = [[Ragıp Gümüşpala]]
| successor2 = [[Cemal Tural]]
| order3 = [[List of Commanders of the Turkish Land Forces|Commander of the Turkish Army]]
| term_start3 = 3 June 1960
| term_end3 = 2 August 1960
| predecessor3 = Cemal Gürsel
| successor3 = Mehmet Muzaffer Alankuş
| birth_date = 10 February 1899
| birth_place = [[Çaykara]], [[Trabzon Vilayet]], [[Ottoman Empire]]
| death_date = {{death date and age|1982|05|22|1899|02|10|df=y}}
| death_place = [[Istanbul]], [[Turkey]]
| resting_place = [[Turkish State Cemetery]]
| party = [[Independent politician|Independent]]
| spouse = [[Atıfet Sunay]]
| children = Atilla Sunay Aysel Sunay Argun Sunay
| signature = Cevdet Sunay imza.png
| allegiance = {{flag|Ottoman Empire}} {{flag|Turkey}}
| branch = {{army|Ottoman Empire}} {{army|Turkey}}
| battles = {{Tree list}}
*[[World War I]]
**[[Middle Eastern theatre of World War I|Middle Eastern theatre]]
***[[Sinai and Palestine Campaign|Palestine Front]]
*[[Turkish War of Independence]]
**[[Greco-Turkish War (1919–1922)|Greco-Turkish War]]
{{tree list/end}}
| rank = [[Four-star general|General]]
| caption = Sunay in 1964
| alma_mater = [[Kuleli Military High School]] [[Turkish Military Academy]] [[Army War Institute]]
}}

'''Ahmet Cevdet Sunay'''{{EFN|{{IPA|tr|ˈdʒevdet ˈsunaj|lang}}}} (10 February 1899 – 22 May 1982) was a Turkish politician and military officer who served as the [[president of Turkey]] from 1966 to 1973.

== Early life and career ==
Sunay was born in 1899 in the village of Ataköy near [[Çaykara]] in [[Trabzon Vilayet]], [[Ottoman Empire]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=30 December 2022 |title=Cevdet Sunay Müzesi - Trabzon |url=https://www.kulturportali.gov.tr/turkiye/trabzon/gezilecekyer/cevdet-sunay-muzesi|website=Türkiye Kültür Portalı}}</ref> 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 [[Sinai and Palestine Campaign|Palestine front]] and became a [[prisoner of war]] of the [[United Kingdom|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 [[Army War College (Turkey)|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 chief of the general staff. On 14 March 1966, he was appointed to the [[Senate of the Republic (Turkey)|senate]] by [[Cemal Gürsel]] under his presidential contingency.<ref>{{Cite web |title=SUNAY, Cevdet - TDV İslâm Ansiklopedisi |url=https://islamansiklopedisi.org.tr/sunay-cevdet |access-date=2022-03-19 |website=TDV İslam Ansiklopedisi |language=tr}}</ref>

When Gürsel's presidency was terminated due to ill health in accordance with the constitution, Cevdet Sunay was elected 5th president by the [[Grand National Assembly of Turkey]] on 28 March 1966. He maintained his office despite increasing [[terrorism|terrorist activity]], student riots, and threatened coups. He served the constitutional term of seven years until 28 March 1973 and became then a permanent senator.

He was married to [[Atıfet Sunay|Atıfet]] in 1929.<ref name="h1"/> They had three sons, Atilla, Aysel and Argun Sunay.<ref name="r1"/>

== Presidency ==
Chief of the General Staff Cevdet Sunay was elected as the fifth president of the Turkish Republic by the [[Grand National Assembly of Turkey]] on 28 March 1966.<ref>{{Cite web |title=O gün bugün {{!}} 5. Cumhurbaşkanı Cevdet Sunay oldu |url=https://www.milliyet.com.tr/gundem/o-gun-bugun-5-cumhurbaskani-cevdet-sunay-oldu-6175740 |access-date=2022-03-19 |website=Milliyet |date=28 March 2020 |language=tr}}</ref> His presidential service continued until 28 March 1973 where he had to go through troubled times. Between 1961 and 1965 [[Süleyman Demirel]], [[Nihat Erim]] and [[Ferit Melen]] were the most prominent members in President Sunay’s administration. Cevdet Sunay resigned as president due to deteriorating health conditions.

== Death ==
Cevdet Sunay died of a heart attack on 22 May 1982 in Istanbul. His body was moved in August 1988 to a permanent burial place in the newly built [[Turkish State Cemetery]] in [[Ankara]].

== Honours ==
;National honours
* {{Flagicon|Turkey}} Recipient of the Medal of Independence with Red Ribbon.
;Foreign honours
* {{Flagicon|Pahlavi Iran}} Commemorative Medal of the [[2,500-year celebration of the Persian Empire|2500th Anniversary of the founding of the Persian Empire]] (14/10/1971).<ref>[http://badraie.com/guests.htm Badraie] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305043732/http://badraie.com/guests.htm |date=March 5, 2016 }}</ref>
* {{Flagicon|Finland}} Grand Cross with Collar of the [[Order of the White Rose of Finland]] (1971)<ref>{{cite web | url=https://ritarikunnat.fi/ritarikunnat/palkitut/suomen-valkoisen-ruusun-ritarikunnan-suurristin-ketjuineen-ulkomaalaiset-saajat/ | title=Suomen Valkoisen Ruusun ritarikunnan suurristin ketjuineen ulkomaalaiset saajat - Ritarikunnat | date=9 October 2020 }}</ref>
* {{Flagicon|UK}} Knight Commander of the [[Order of the Bath]] [KCB].

==Notes==
{{Notelist}}

==References==
{{reflist|refs=
<ref name="h1">{{cite news |url=http://www.hurriyet.com.tr/kelebek/cankaya-nin-first-lady-leri-6334049 |newspaper=[[Hürriyet]] |title=Çankaya'nın First Lady'leri |date=15 April 2007 |language=tr |access-date=16 February 2019 }}</ref>
<ref name="r1">{{cite news |url=http://www.radikal.com.tr/turkiye/sunayin-esi-vefat-etti-648783/ |newspaper=[[Radikal]] |title=Sunay'ın eşi vefat etti |date=22 October 2002 |language=tr |access-date=16 February 2019 }}</ref>
}}

==External links==
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20131110185516/http://www.mfa.gov.tr/cevdet-sunay.en.mfa Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Turkey]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20120525135211/http://www.tccb.gov.tr/sayfa/cumhurbaskanlarimiz/cevdet_sunay/ Presidency of Turkey]

{{S-start}}
{{S-mil}}
{{succession box
| before = [[Cemal Gürsel]]
| title = [[List of Commanders of the Turkish Land Forces|Commander of the Turkish Army]]
| years = 1960
| after = Mehmet Muzaffer Alankuş
}}
{{Succession box
| before = [[Ragıp Gümüşpala]]
| title = [[List of Chiefs of the Turkish General Staff|Chief of the General Staff of Turkey]]
| years = 1960–1966
| after = [[Cemal Tural]]
}}
{{S-off}}
{{Succession box
| before = [[Cemal Gürsel]]
| title = [[List of presidents of Turkey|President of Turkey]]
| years = 1966–1973
| after = [[Fahri Korutürk]]
}}
{{S-end}}

{{Presidents of Turkey}}
{{Chiefs of the General Staff of Turkey}}
{{Commanders of the Turkish Land Forces}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sunay, Cevdet}}
[[Category:1899 births]]
[[Category:1982 deaths]]
[[Category:20th-century presidents of Turkey]]
[[Category:People from Çaykara]]
[[Category:Kuleli Military High School alumni]]
[[Category:Ottoman Military Academy alumni]]
[[Category:Ottoman Army officers]]
[[Category:Ottoman military personnel of World War I]]
[[Category:Ottoman prisoners of war]]
[[Category:World War I prisoners of war held by the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Turkish military personnel of the Greco-Turkish War (1919–1922)]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Medal of Independence with Red Ribbon (Turkey)]]
[[Category:Army War College (Turkey) alumni]]
[[Category:Turkish Army generals]]
[[Category:Turkish Muslims]]
[[Category:Deputy chiefs of the Turkish General Staff]]
[[Category:Commanders of the Turkish Land Forces]]
[[Category:Chiefs of the Turkish General Staff]]
[[Category:Honorary Knights Commander of the Order of the Bath]]
[[Category:Burials at Turkish State Cemetery]]
[[Category:Members of the Senate of the Republic (Turkey)]]
[[Category:20th-century presidents in Asia]]

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Cevdet Sunay