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)

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