Chief of the Turkish General Staff

The Chief of the General Staff of the Turkish Armed Forces (Turkish: Türk Silahlı Kuvvetleri Genelkurmay Başkanı) is the chief of the General Staff of the Turkish Armed Forces (Turkish: Türk Silahlı Kuvvetleri). He is appointed by the President of Turkey, who is the commander-in-chief. The position dates to the period of the Government of the Grand National Assembly and the Turkish War of Independence. The post has its own rank insignia, which is the OF-9 (full General or Admiral of the Turkish Armed Forces) rank of the Chief of Staff's personal service branch surrounded by laurel wreaths. In practice, the position has always been held by a Turkish Land Forces officer.

Chief of the General Staff
Turkish: Genelkurmay Başkanı
Shoulder insignia specifically for the chief
Flag of the Chief of the General Staff
Incumbent General Selçuk Bayraktaroğlu since 5 August 2025
General Staff Ministry of National Defense
Member of	General Staff National Security Council Supreme Military Council
Reports to	Minister of National Defense
Seat	General Staff Building, Ankara
Nominator	President
Appointer	President
Precursor	Chief of the Ottoman General Staff
Formation	3 May 1920
First holder	Mirliva İsmet İnönü
Deputy	Second Chief of the General Staff
Website	Official website

The current Chief of the General Staff is General Metin Gürak, since 3 August 2023.^[1]

List of chiefs of the general staff

No.	Portrait	Chief of the General Staff	Took office	Left office	Time in office	Defence branch
1		İnönü, İsmetMirliva İsmet İnönü (1884–1973) [a]	3 May 1920	3 August 1921	1 year, 92 days	Ground Forces
2		Çakmak, FevziMareşal Fevzi Çakmak (1876–1950) [b]	5 August 1921	12 January 1944	22 years, 160 days	Ground Forces
3		Orbay, KâzımGeneral Kâzım Orbay (1887–1964)	12 January 1944	30 July 1946	2 years, 199 days	Ground Forces
4		Omurtak, SalihGeneral Salih Omurtak (1889–1954)	1 August 1946	8 June 1949	2 years, 311 days	Ground Forces
5		Gürman, Abdurrahman NafizGeneral Abdurrahman Nafiz Gürman (1882–1966)	10 June 1949	5 June 1950	360 days	Ground Forces
6		Yamut, NuriGeneral Nuri Yamut (1890–1961)	6 June 1950	10 April 1954	3 years, 308 days	Ground Forces
7		Baransel, NurettinGeneral Nurettin Baransel (1897–1967)	28 May 1954	25 August 1955	1 year, 89 days	Ground Forces
8		Tunaboylu, İsmailGeneral Hakkı Tunaboylu (1895–1958)	25 August 1955	10 October 1957	2 years, 46 days	Ground Forces
9		Mengüç, FeyziGeneral Feyzi Mengüç (1896–1966)	11 October 1957	22 August 1958	315 days	Ground Forces
10		Erdelhun, RüştüGeneral Rüştü Erdelhun (1894–1983)	23 August 1958	27 May 1960	1 year, 278 days	Ground Forces
11		Gümüşpala, RagıpGeneral Ragıp Gümüşpala (1897–1964)	3 June 1960	4 August 1960	62 days	Ground Forces
12		Sunay, CevdetGeneral Cevdet Sunay (1899–1982)	4 August 1960	16 March 1966	5 years, 224 days	Ground Forces
13		Tural, CemalGeneral Cemal Tural (1905–1981)	16 March 1966	16 March 1969	3 years	Ground Forces
14		Tağmaç, MemduhGeneral Memduh Tağmaç (1904–1978)	16 March 1969	29 August 1972	3 years, 166 days	Ground Forces
15		Gürler, FarukGeneral Faruk Gürler (1913–1975)	29 August 1972	6 March 1973	250 days	Ground Forces
16		Sancar, SemihGeneral Semih Sancar (1911–1984)	6 March 1973	7 March 1978	5 years, 1 day	Ground Forces
17		Evren, KenanGeneral Kenan Evren (1917–2015)	7 March 1978	1 July 1983	5 years, 55 days	Ground Forces
18		Ersin, NurettinGeneral Nurettin Ersin (1918–2005)	1 July 1983	6 December 1983	158 days	Ground Forces
19		Üruğ, NecdetGeneral Necdet Üruğ (1921–2021)	6 December 1983	2 July 1987	3 years, 208 days	Ground Forces
20		Torumtay, NecipGeneral Necip Torumtay (1926–2011) [c]	24 July 1987	3 December 1990	3 years, 132 days	Ground Forces
21		Güreş, DoğanGeneral Doğan Güreş (1926–2014)	6 December 1990	30 August 1994	3 years, 267 days	Ground Forces
22		Karadayı, İsmail HakkıGeneral İsmail Hakkı Karadayı (1932–2020)	30 August 1994	30 August 1998	4 years	Ground Forces
23		Kıvrıkoğlu, HüseyinGeneral Hüseyin Kıvrıkoğlu (born 1934)	30 August 1998	28 August 2002	3 years, 363 days	Ground Forces
24		Özkök, HilmiGeneral Hilmi Özkök (born 1940)	28 August 2002	30 August 2006	4 years, 2 days	Ground Forces
25		Büyükanıt, YaşarGeneral Yaşar Büyükanıt (1940–2019)	30 August 2006	30 August 2008	2 years	Ground Forces
26		Başbuğ, İlkerGeneral İlker Başbuğ (born 1943)	30 August 2008	30 August 2010	2 years	Ground Forces
27		Koşaner, IşıkGeneral Işık Koşaner (born 1945)	30 August 2010	29 July 2011	333 days	Ground Forces
28		Özel, NecdetGeneral Necdet Özel (born 1950)	30 July 2011	18 August 2015	4 years, 19 days	Ground Forces
29		Akar, HulusiGeneral Hulusi Akar (born 1952)	18 August 2015	10 July 2018	2 years, 326 days	Ground Forces
–		Dündar, ÜmitGeneral Ümit Dündar (born 1955) Acting [d]	15 July 2016	16 July 2016	1 day	Ground Forces
30		Güler, YaşarGeneral Yaşar Güler (born 1954)	10 July 2018	3 June 2023	4 years, 328 days	Ground Forces
–		Avsever, MusaGeneral Musa Avsever (born 1957) Acting	5 June 2023	3 August 2023	59 days*	Ground Forces
31		Gürak, MetinGeneral Metin Gürak (born 1960)	3 August 2023	Incumbent	2 years, 2 days*	Ground Forces

* Incumbent's time in office last updated: 5 August 2025.

Timeline

Notes

1. Minister of General Staff.
2. Minister of General Staff until 6 March 1924.
3. Torumtay resigned due to strong opposition to President Turgut Özal's stance in favor of joining the Coalition in the Gulf War against Iraq.
4. Dündar served as Acting Chief of the General Staff during the 2016 coup d'état attempt, while Akar was being held hostage by coup forces.

See also

• List of commanders of the Turkish Land Forces
• List of commanders of the Turkish Air Force
• List of commanders of the Turkish Naval Forces
• List of general commanders of the Turkish Gendarmerie
• List of commandants of the Turkish Coast Guard
• List of commanders of the First Army of Turkey
• List of commanders of the Second Army of Turkey
• List of commanders of the Third Army of Turkey
• List of commanders of the Aegean Army