title: 1981 in Turkey
text: # 1981 in Turkey
  
  Events in the year 1981 in Turkey.
  
  ## Incumbents
  
  * President – Kenan Evren
  * Prime Minister – Bülent Ulusu
  
  ## Ruling party and the main opposition
  
  * Ruling party – (Technocrat government)
  
  ## Cabinet
  
  * 44th government of Turkey
  
  ## Events
  
  ### January
  
  * 17 January – Cargo ship Deniz Sönmez sinks near Crete, resulting in 32 fatalities.
  
  ### March
  
  * 4 March – Two Turkish diplomats assassinated by Armenian terrorists.
  
  ### May
  
  * 13 May – Assassination attempt on John Paul II by Mehmet Ali Ağca
  * 24 May – Trabzonspor won the championship of the Turkish football league
  
  ### July
  
  * 27 July – Turkey elects state artists for the first time.
  
  ### October
  
  * 16 October – NSC dissolves all political parties.
  * 23 October – Consultative Assembly inaugurated.
  
  ### November
  
  * 3 November – 3 November – Former prime minister Bülent Ecevit receives prison sentence for making political statements.
  * 30 November – Ministry of Culture merges with the Ministry of Tourism.
  
  ## Births
  
  * 10 January – Mert Fırat, actor
  * 17 February – Songül Öden
  * 34 March – Aysun Kayacı, model
  * 27 October – Volkan Demirel, footballer
  * 20 November – İbrahim Toraman, footballer
  
  ## Deaths
  
  * 4 March – Reşat Moralı and Tecelli Arı (assassinated)
  * 18 March – Cahide Sonku (born in 1919), artist
  * 27 April – Münir Nurettin Selçuk, singer
  * 18 May – Fuat Sirmen (born in 1899), former speaker of the parliament
  * 26 December – Suat Hayri Ürgüplü (born in 1903), former prime minister (29th government of Turkey)
  
  ## Gallery
  
  * Kenan Evren
  * Bülent Ecevit
  * Songül Öden
  * Volkan Demirel
  * İbrahim Toraman
  * Fuat Sirmen
  * Suat Hayri Ürgüplü
  