Kenan Evren
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Kenan Evren, born c. 1918 in Alaşehir, Manisa, was a Turkish general, the leader of the coup d'etat on 12 September 1980 and the 7th president of Turkey. He was Counter-Guerrilla's commander, Gladio's Turkish branch of NATO's "stay-behind" secret armies [link].
After going to elementary school and middle school in Manisa, Balıkesir and İstanbul, he attended military high school in Maltepe, Ankara. In 1938, he graduated from army school and in 1949 from military academy as a staff officer. He participated in the Korean War. In 1958 and 1959 he served in Korea. In 1964 he was made general. Evren served at various posts like as Chief army. He became Chief joint staff in 1978.
He led the September 12 1980 military coup in Turkey against the elected civilian government. With the coup, the National Security Council (MGK), which was composed of Kenan Evren, the Chief of the general staff, and the force commanders, dissolved the parliament and the government. According a widely believed story in Turkey, he and his team of force commanders were named "our boys" in the CIA headquarters after the coup.
After the coup, in 1982, he became President of Turkey on November 7 with the approval of the new constitution that was submitted to a public referendum. He is considered to have ruled the country with an iron fist until November 9, 1989. He seemed to have great admiration for the founder of Turkey, Kemal Atatürk, but he shut down some institutions founded by Atatürk and is often accused of deforming the country's legal system against Atatürk's principles. During his military regime, some people were executed because of their political beliefs, including a 16 year old boy named Erdal Eren. Laws did not allow execution of underage children. Therefore his age was changed from 16 to 18 by court order for the execution. Kenan Evren is remembered for his comment on these executions: "Asmayalım da besleyelim mi?" (Shall we feed them rather than hanging them?)
His reputation as a both military man and a political leader has suffered due to the many gaffes he made. However, some believe that he did a great service to the Turkish republic and without the coup he led in 1980 the clash of militant factions in Turkey would have caused more damage.
After his retirement, he moved to the Turkish Mediterranean resort town of Marmaris and took up painting.
See also
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| İnönü | Çakmak | Orbay | Omurtak | Gürman | Yamut | Baransel | Tunaboylu | Mengüç | Erdelhun | Gümüşpala | Sunay | Tural | Tağmaç | Gürler | Sancar | Evren | Ersin | Üruğ | Torumtay | Güreş | Karadayı | Kıvrıkoğlu | Özkök |
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| Atatürk | İnönü | Bayar | Gürsel | Sunay | Korutürk | Evren | Özal | Demirel | Sezer |
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