Salih Omurtak (1889–23 June 1954) was a
Turkish
Turkish may refer to:
*a Turkic language spoken by the Turks
* of or about Turkey
** Turkish language
*** Turkish alphabet
** Turkish people, a Turkic ethnic group and nation
*** Turkish citizen, a citizen of Turkey
*** Turkish communities and mi ...
general and the fourth
Chief of the General Staff The Chief of the General Staff (CGS) is a post in many armed forces ( militaries), the head of the military staff.
List
* Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (United States)
* Chief of the General Staff (Abkhazia)
* Chief of General Staff ( ...
of the
Turkish Armed Forces.
Biography
He was born 1889 in
Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki (; el, Θεσσαλονίκη, , also known as Thessalonica (), Saloniki, or Salonica (), is the second-largest city in Greece, with over one million inhabitants in its Thessaloniki metropolitan area, metropolitan area, and the capi ...
, in the
Salonica Vilayet of the
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...
(present-day
Greece
Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders wit ...
). He graduated from the Military College in 1907 with the rank of a lieutenant. After finishing the Staff College in 1910, he became a
staff officer and served at several headquarters in the
Ottoman Army
The military of the Ottoman Empire ( tr, Osmanlı İmparatorluğu'nun silahlı kuvvetleri) was the armed forces of the Ottoman Empire.
Army
The military of the Ottoman Empire can be divided in five main periods. The foundation era covers the ...
.
Deployed to
Ankara
Ankara ( , ; ), historically known as Ancyra and Angora, is the capital of Turkey. Located in the central part of Anatolia, the city has a population of 5.1 million in its urban center and over 5.7 million in Ankara Province, mak ...
on 22 January 1920, he joined the
Turkish revolutionaries and commanded various troops during and after the
Turkish War of Independence
The Turkish War of Independence "War of Liberation", also known figuratively as ''İstiklâl Harbi'' "Independence War" or ''Millî Mücadele'' "National Struggle" (19 May 1919 – 24 July 1923) was a series of military campaigns waged by th ...
, including the 61st Division. He was promoted to the rank of the
Mirliva in 1926, and in 1930, he became a
Ferik. From 1940 on, Omurtak held the commander-in-chief post of the
First Army in the rank of the
Orgeneral (
four-star general).
He was appointed Chief of the General Staff of the Turkish Armed Forces on 1 August 1946 following the resignation of
Kazım Orbay, and served at this position until 8 June 1949. His following duty was the membership in the Military High Advisory Board, which he held until his retirement on 6 July 1950.
Salih Omurtak died on 23 June 1954 in Ankara. His body was moved later to a permanent burial place in the
Turkish State Cemetery.
See also
*
References
External links
Salih OMURTAKin the official website of the Turkish General Staff
{{DEFAULTSORT:Omurtak, Salih
1889 births
1954 deaths
Military personnel from Thessaloniki
People from Salonica vilayet
Macedonian Turks
Ottoman Army officers
Turkish Army generals
Commanders of the First Army of Turkey
Deputy Chiefs of the Turkish General Staff
Chiefs of the Turkish General Staff
Ottoman military personnel of World War I
Turkish military personnel of the Greco-Turkish War (1919–1922)
Ottoman Military Academy alumni
Ottoman Military College alumni
Recipients of the Medal of Independence with Red Ribbon (Turkey)
Burials at Turkish State Cemetery