Cevdet Sunay
A career soldier who rose from the trenches of Gallipoli to become Turkey's fifth president, embodying the military's stabilizing role in the republic.
1899–1982 (age 83)·President of Turkey from 1966 to 1973·Birthday: February 10·The Lost Generation
Biography
Cevdet Sunay's life was a map of modern Turkish history. He enlisted as a young man and fought with distinction in the brutal Gallipoli campaign during World War I, then in the Turkish War of Independence. His steady rise through the army ranks was a testament to his reliability more than flashy brilliance. By the 1960s, he was Chief of the General Staff, a trusted figure in a nation still finding its political footing after a 1960 military coup. When President Cemal Gürsel fell ill, the Grand National Assembly turned to Sunay. His presidency from 1966 to 1973 was a period of fragile coalition governments and rising social unrest. Sunay, ever the constitutionalist soldier, operated as a stern, above-politics guardian of Kemalist principles, often urging politicians toward unity and cautioning against extremism from his neutral office.
The Lost Generation
1883–1900
Came of age during World War I. Disillusioned by the carnage, they rejected the certainties of the Victorian era and built modernism from the wreckage — in art, literature, and politics.
Cevdet was born in 1899, placing them squarely in The Lost Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Cevdet Was Born
The biggest hits of 1899
Cevdet's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1899Born
President: William McKinley
1904Started school
New York City opens its first subway line
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1912Became a teenager
Titanic sinks on its maiden voyage
President: William Howard Taft
1915Could drive
The Lusitania is sunk by a German U-boat
President: Woodrow Wilson
1917Could vote
Russian Revolution overthrows the tsar; US enters WWI
President: Woodrow Wilson
1920Turned 21
Women gain the right to vote in the US
Home: $3,395President: Woodrow Wilson"Swanee" — Al Jolson
1929Turned 30
Wall Street crashes, triggering the Great Depression
Gas: $0.21/galPresident: Herbert Hoover"Singin' in the Rain" — Cliff EdwardsBest Picture: The Broadway Melody
1939Turned 40
World War II begins; The Wizard of Oz premieres
Gas: $0.19/galMin wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Over the Rainbow" — Judy GarlandBest Picture: Gone with the Wind
1949Turned 50
NATO founded; Mao proclaims the People's Republic of China
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,450Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Riders in the Sky" — Vaughn MonroeBest Picture: All the King's Men
1959Turned 60
Fidel Castro takes power in Cuba
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $12,400Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"The Battle of New Orleans" — Johnny HortonBest Picture: Ben-Hur
1969Turned 70
Apollo 11: humans walk on the Moon; Woodstock festival
Gas: $0.35/galHome: $15,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Sugar, Sugar" — The ArchiesBest Picture: Midnight Cowboy
1979Turned 80
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1982Died at 83
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
Key Achievements
- Served as the fifth President of Turkey from 1966 to 1973, following a parliamentary election.
- Had a long military career culminating in the position of Chief of the General Staff of Turkey (1960-1966).
- Fought in both World War I (at Gallipoli) and the Turkish War of Independence.
- Was a member of the Constituent Assembly that drafted the 1961 constitution after the military coup.
Did You Know?
He was the first Turkish president to have been born in the 19th century.
Before his presidency, he served as a military advisor to Pakistan for a period.
His presidential term saw the rise of political violence between left-wing and right-wing groups in Turkey.
He is buried in the Turkish State Cemetery in Ankara, a site reserved for notable statesmen and military heroes.
“The soldier's duty is to the constitution, not to any single party.”
