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| Kenan Evren | |
|---|---|
| Name | Kenan Evren |
| Birth date | 17 July 1917 |
| Birth place | Manisa, Ottoman Empire |
| Death date | 9 May 2015 |
| Death place | Ankara, Turkey |
| Nationality | Turkish |
| Occupation | Army general, politician |
| Office | President of Turkey |
| Term start | 12 September 1980 |
| Term end | 9 November 1989 |
| Predecessor | Fahri Korutürk |
| Successor | Turgut Özal |
Kenan Evren (17 July 1917 – 9 May 2015) was a Turkish army general and statesman who led the 1980 coup d'état and served as the seventh President of Turkey. His tenure transformed Turkish politics through a new constitution, reorganization of state institutions, and repression of political movements; his legacy remains controversial in Turkey, Europe, and international human rights fora.
Born in Manisa in the late Ottoman period, Evren attended the Kuleli Military High School and the Turkish Military Academy, rising through the ranks in the Turkish Land Forces. He served in various corps and staff positions, including in the 2nd Army and the General Staff, during a period shaped by events such as the Cyprus conflict and tensions with Greece. Promoted to chief of the general staff in 1978, Evren operated within the institutional framework influenced by the Süleyman Demirel governments, the MHP milieu, and the polarized aftermath of the 1977 Taksim Square massacre. His career intersected with figures such as Bülent Ecevit, Süleyman Demirel, Alparslan Türkeş, and Necmettin Erbakan, and with crises including political violence between activists aligned with CHP and AP factions.
On 12 September 1980 Evren, as head of the Turkish Armed Forces, coordinated a seizure of power that followed failed coalition attempts involving leaders like Süleyman Demirel and Bülent Ulusu. The coup occurred against a backdrop of street clashes, assassinations, and escalating instability tied to groups influenced by left-wing militants and ultranationalist elements. Key institutions such as the parliament were suspended, premiers and ministers were detained, and military tribunals were established drawing comparisons with earlier interventions like the 1960 Turkish coup d'état and the 1971 Turkish coup d'état. The junta, with figures including Nurettin Ersin, Tahsin Şahinkaya, and Nahit Zirak, framed the intervention as necessary to restore order and to reorganize state institutions.
Evren was appointed head of the National Security Council and subsequently assumed the presidency. In 1982 a new constitution was promulgated following a referendum conducted under military supervision, restructuring the presidency and strengthening central authorities; drafters and overseers included members of the junta and legal actors connected to the Constitutional Court of Turkey. The new legal order curtailed party activities and introduced political vetting similar to measures earlier enacted after the 1960 coup. Evren's presidency overlapped with economic actors and policy debates involving technocrats influenced by institutions like the World Bank, International Monetary Fund, and advisers linked to emerging figures such as Turgut Özal who later led the ANAP.
Under Evren, authorities implemented mass arrests, trials in special courts and military tribunals, and wide-ranging bans on political organizations including Communist Party of Turkey factions and ultranationalist networks. Reported practices included detention of activists, closures of trade unions and universities surveillance shaped by security services, and restrictions on publications tied to newspapers and periodicals like those affiliated with Cumhuriyet or Milliyet networks. Human rights organizations such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch documented allegations of torture, forced disappearances, and extrajudicial punishments, raising concerns voiced in venues including the Council of Europe and debates with representatives of countries like United States and members of the European Community. The crackdown dismantled organized leftist and Islamist political infrastructures connected to individuals like Necmettin Erbakan and led to a reconstituted party system when civilian politics resumed.
Evren's tenure repositioned Turkish foreign policy amid the final phase of the Cold War, NATO dynamics, and regional issues including the Soviet Union presence and the Iran–Iraq War. Relations with United States military and diplomatic establishments continued, with strategic cooperation centered on bases and NATO commitments while tensions arose over human rights critiques from Western capitals. Evren engaged with neighboring states such as Greece and actors in the Middle East as Ankara navigated energy, refugee, and security challenges; interactions included dialogues with figures linked to Cyprus dispute negotiations and contacts with European institutions such as the European Court of Human Rights.
After decades out of uniform, Evren and other coup leaders were investigated following political campaigns for accountability initiated in the 1990s and 2000s, intensified by prosecutors and lawmakers from parties like CHP and activist coalitions. In 2012 Evren was indicted and later tried on charges related to the 1980 coup; courts addressed allegations of involvement in violations of constitutional order and human rights abuses. In 2014 a Turkish criminal court convicted Evren of leading a coup and sentenced him; debates over immunity, presidential accountability, and retrospective justice engaged legal institutions including the Constitutional Court of Turkey and international observers from bodies like the United Nations and European Court of Human Rights. Evren died in 2015; his burial and commemorations sparked demonstrations and discourse among constituencies linked to AKP, secularists, nationalist veterans, and victims' families. His legacy informs ongoing historiography and politics in Turkey, with scholars and commentators comparing his intervention to other 20th‑century military seizures such as the 1960 Turkish coup d'état and examining long-term impacts on constitutionalism, civil liberties, and civil‑military relations.
Category:Turkish presidents Category:Turkish military personnel