Tahsin Şahinkaya (1 May 1925 – 9 July 2015) was a Turkish Air Force general. After completing his compulsory military service in the Turkish Army Artillery between 1943 and 1945, he was commissioned as a

Supermarine Spitfire The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was used by the Royal Air Force and other Allies of World War II, Allied countries before, during, and after World War II. It was the only British fighter produced conti ...

pilot in the Air Force. From 1955 he flew the

North American F-86 Sabre The North American F-86 Sabre, sometimes called the Sabrejet, is a transonic jet fighter aircraft. Produced by North American Aviation, the Sabre is best known as the United States' first swept-wing fighter that could counter the swept-wing Sov ...

and was a squadron commander from 1958 to 1961. In 1960 he also qualified as a pilot for the

North American F-100 Super Sabre The North American F-100 Super Sabre is an American supersonic jet fighter aircraft designed and produced by the aircraft manufacturer North American Aviation. The first of the Century Series of American jet fighters, it was the first United ...

. Promoted to colonel in 1962, he commanded a regiment of Sabrejet fighters between 1962 and 1964 and a regiment of Super Sabre fighters from 1966 to 1968. Between 1964 and 1966 he was an instructor at the Air Warfare School. Promoted to brigadier general in 1968 and appointed as the air attaché to Israel till 1971. From 1971 to 1974 he as deputy director of air planning as a staff officer. Promoted to major general in 1974 and commanded all Turkish Air Force units in the Cyprus War. In 1976 promoted to lieutenant general and chief of Air Training Command. In 1978 became commander of the First Air Force. In 1979 a full general. He was Commander of the Turkish Air Force from 1978 to 1983, and previously secretary-general of the

National Security Council A national security council (NSC) is usually an executive branch governmental body responsible for coordinating policy on national security issues and advising chief executives on matters related to national security. An NSC is often headed by a n ...

(1977–1978). He was one of the five leaders of the 1980 military coup, and after the coup he was a member of the Presidential Council. In 2012, a court case was launched against Şahinkaya and

Kenan Evren Ahmet Kenan Evren (17 July 1917 – 9 May 2015) was a Turkish military officer and dictator who served as the seventh president of Turkey from 1980 to 1989. He assumed the post by leading the 1980 military coup. On 18 June 2014, a Turkish cou ...

relating to the 1980 military coup. Both were sentenced to life imprisonment on 18 June 2014 by a court in Ankara, the capital of Turkey. After having been sentenced he was not sent to prison as he was in medical treatment for several illnesses at the Gülhane Military Research Hospital (GATA) in

Ankara Ankara is the capital city of Turkey and List of national capitals by area, the largest capital by area in the world. Located in the Central Anatolia Region, central part of Anatolia, the city has a population of 5,290,822 in its urban center ( ...

and later on also in Istanbul.

Death

Şahinkaya died at age 90 in the Gülhane Military Medical Academy (GATA) in

Haydarpaşa Haydarpaşa is a locality within the Kadıköy and Üsküdar districts on the Asian part of Istanbul, Turkey. Haydarpaşa is named after Ottoman Vizier Haydar Pasha. The place, on the coast of Sea of Marmara, borders to Harem in the northwest and ...

, Istanbul on July 9, 2015. He was interred at

Karacaahmet Cemetery The Karacaahmet Cemetery () is a 700-year-old historic cemetery located in Üsküdar, on the Asian side of Istanbul. Karacaahmet cemetery is the largest and second oldest in Istanbul at , and the largest burial ground in Turkey by number of interr ...

on July 11 following a memorial ceremony held at the Turkish First Army headquarters in the

Selimiye Barracks Selimiye Barracks (), also known as Scutari Barracks, is a Turkish Army barracks located in Selimiye in the Üsküdar district on the Asian side of Istanbul, Turkey. It was originally built in 1800 by Sultan Selim III for the soldiers of the ...

and subsequent religious funeral service at the nearby Big Selimiye Mosque in

Üsküdar Üsküdar () is a municipality and district of Istanbul Province, Turkey. Its area is 35 km2, and its population is 524,452 (2022). It is a large and densely populated district on the Anatolian (Asian) shore of the Bosphorus. It is border ...

. He was survived by his wife Sema, son Serdar, daughter Sevgi Kartal and son-in-law Mustafa Kartal.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sahinkaya, Tahsin 1925 births 2015 deaths People from Merzifon Turkish Air Force generals Commanders of the Turkish Air Force Secretaries general of the National Security Council (Turkey) Burials at Karacaahmet Cemetery Turkish prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment Turkish people who died in prison custody Prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment by Turkey Prisoners who died in Turkish detention