Cevdet Sunay

{{Infobox officeholder

| name = Cevdet Sunay

| nationality = Turkish

| image = Turkse chef Generale staf (Generaal Sunay), Bestanddeelnr 916-7535 (cropped).jpg

| image_size =

| order =

| office = 5th 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 = 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

| 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}}

| rank = 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 fifth 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.{{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}} 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.{{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}}

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 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 in 1929. They had three sons, Atilla, Aysel and Argun Sunay.

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.{{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}} 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 2500th Anniversary of the founding of the Persian Empire (14/10/1971).[http://badraie.com/guests.htm Badraie] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305043732/http://badraie.com/guests.htm |date=March 5, 2016 }}
{{Flagicon|Finland}} Grand Cross with Collar of the Order of the White Rose of Finland (1971){{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 }}
{{Flagicon|UK}} Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath [KCB].

Notes

References

{{reflist|refs=

{{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 }}

{{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 }}

}}

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]

{{succession box

| before = Cemal Gürsel

| title = Commander of the Turkish Army

| years = 1960

| after = Mehmet Muzaffer Alankuş

}}

{{Succession box

| before = Ragıp Gümüşpala

| title = Chief of the General Staff of Turkey

| years = 1960–1966

| after = Cemal Tural

}}