1979 in Turkey
# 1979 in Turkey

Events in the year 1979 in Turkey.

## Parliament

* 16th Parliament of Turkey

## Incumbents

* President – Fahri Korutürk
* Prime Minister –

       Bülent Ecevit (up to 12 November)
       Süleyman Demirel (from 12 November)
* Leader of the opposition –

       Süleyman Demirel (up to 12 November)
       Bülent Ecevit (from 12 November)

## Ruling party and the main opposition

* Ruling party

       Republican People's Party (CHP) (up to 12 November)
       Justice Party (AP) (from 12 November)
* Main opposition

       Justice Party (AP) (up to 12 November)
       Republican People's Party (CHP) (from 12 November)

## Cabinet

* 42nd government of Turkey (up to 12 November)
* 43rd government of Turkey (from 12 November)

## Events

### February

* 1 February 1979 – Abdi İpekçi is assassinated.

### March

* 3 March – Sürü wins Best Film in the 30th Berlin International Film Festival.
* 15 March – Turkey withdraws from CENTO.
* 29 March – U.S. Congress approves $200,000,000 in military aid.

### April

* 12 April – U.S. serviceman killed in Izmir.

### May

* 24 May – First local airplane in Kayseri is operational.

### June

* 3 June – Trabzonspor wins the championship.
* 15 June – Turkish and Greek officials commence talks on Cyprus

### July

* 10 July – Mehmet Ali Ağca, charged with the murder of Abdi İpekçi, is arrested.
* 13 July – A Palestinian group raids the Egyptian Embassy in Ankara.

### August

* 8 August – Students at the opening ceremony of Middle East Technical University sing The Internationale instead of the Turkish national anthem.

### October

* 5 October – A permanent Palestine Liberation Organization office opens in Ankara.
* 14 October – The ruling party CHP is defeated in the general election.

### November

* 20 November – Deputy dean of Istanbul University, Ümit Doğanay, is killed by terrorists.
* 25 November – Mehmet Ali Ağca escapes from prison.

## Births

* 15 April – Nezihe Kalkan (Nez), singer
* 23 April – Bengü Erden (Bengü) singer
* 2 May – Yasemin Dalkılıç, female free diver

## Deaths

* 1 February – Abdi İpekçi (assassinated at age 49), journalist
* 29 April – Muhsin Ertuğrul (aged 54), theatre actor
* 16 June – Ayhan Işık (aged 50), movie actor
* 12 September – Agop Dilaçar (aged 84), Turkish linguist of Armenian descent
* 28 September – Cevat Yurdakul (assassinated at age 37), prosecutor and police chief of Adana

## Gallery

* Bülent Ecevit
* Süleyman Demirel
* Bengü
