Fahri Korutürk

His Excellency Fahri Korutürk
6th President of Turkey
In office 6 April 1973 – 6 April 1980
Prime Minister	Ferit Melen Naim Talu Bülent Ecevit Sadi Irmak Süleyman Demirel
Preceded by	Cevdet Sunay
Succeeded by	Kenan Evren
3rd Commander of the Turkish Navy
In office 12 September 1957 – 2 July 1960
Preceded by	Sadık Altıncan
Succeeded by	Zeki Özak
Personal details
Born	3 August 1903 Istanbul, Ottoman Empire
Died	12 October 1987 (aged 84) Istanbul, Turkey
Nationality	Turkish
Political party	Independent
Spouse(s)	Emel Korutürk (1915-2013)
Children	3
Religion	Sunni Islam
Signature

Fahri Sabit Korutürk (3 August 1903 – 12 October 1987) was a Turkish navy officer, diplomat and the sixth President of Turkey.

Biography

He was born in Istanbul, at Soğukçeşme Sokağı, a small street between Topkapı Palace and Hagia Sophia. He attended the navy cadet school in 1916, was graduated in 1923 and from the Naval Academy in 1933. Korutürk saw active service on cruisers and submarines and later travelled abroad as naval attaché in Rome, Berlin and Stockholm. In 1936, he participated in Montreux Convention Regarding the Regime of the Turkish Straits as military advisor. He was made rear admiral in 1950 and commanded various units until he became admiral.

After his retirement in 1960 from the post of Commander of the Turkish Navy, Korutürk was appointed by the Head of State Cemal Gürsel as Turkish ambassador to the Soviet Union (1960-1964) and later to Spain (1964-1965).

In 1968, President Cevdet Sunay appointed him member of the senate. On 6 April 1973, the Grand National Assembly of Turkey elected him the 6th President of the Republic of Turkey.^[1] During his term he presided over the 20 July 1974 Turkish Invasion of Cyprus after Archbishop Makarios III was ousted by the Greek officer-led Cypriot National Guard.

Korutürk served the constitutional term of seven years until 6 April 1980. Afterwards he became a permanent senator.

He married Emel Korutürk in 1944 and they had two sons and a daughter. His surname, Korutürk,^[2] was given to him by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. Fahri Korutürk died in Moda, Istanbul. He was laid to rest in the Turkish State Cemetery in Ankara.

Works

• İskajerak Deniz Muharebesi hakkında bir konferans (A Conference on the Battle of Skagerrak)

See also

• List of Turkish diplomats
• Turkish presidential election, 1973

Notes

1. Roger P. Nye (1977). "Civil-Military Confrontation in Turkey: The 1973 Presidential Election". International Journal of Middle East Studies, 8, pp 209-228. doi:10.1017/S0020743800026957.
2. The verb korumak means "to protect", and refers to Atatürk's expectation of Korutürk to preserve his legacy.

References

• Who is Who Database – Fahri Korutürk (1903–1987) (Turkish)