title: 1979 in Turkey
text: # 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
  