Turkey has appointed the first female general in the Air Force in its entire history, following the Turkish Supreme Military Council’s approval of the promotion of Colonel Özlem Karapınar, who thus becomes the first woman to attain this high military rank in the country’s Air Force. The decision was taken during the Council’s annual meeting held on 4 August, chaired by the Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, at which promotions, retirements and extensions of service for high-ranking military officers were discussed.
The Council promoted a total of 25 generals and admirals, whilst 69 colonels were promoted to the rank of general or admiral. In the Turkish Air Force, 18 colonels were promoted to brigadier general, including the country’s first astronaut and Air Force pilot, Alper Gezeravcı. Following these decisions, the number of generals and admirals in the Turkish Armed Forces will increase from 328 to 334 with effect from 30 August.
Furthermore, as a result of the decisions taken by the Supreme Military Council and approved by President Erdoğan, Özlem Karapınar was also promoted from colonel to brigadier general, making military history by becoming the first female officer to attain the rank of general within the Turkey’s Air Force, according to the Turkish newspaper Hürriyet.
Who is the first Turkish woman ever to be appointed as a general in the Air Force?
Özlem Karapınar is a General Staff officer who has served for many years in the Turkish Air Force Command. Throughout her career, she has held posts in various units and headquarters of the Air Force.
After completing her secondary education, Karapınar was admitted to the Faculty of Medicine at Ege University in Izmir (Türkiye), but at the same time she received a letter of invitation from the Air Force Academy, sent to students who had achieved high marks in science and mathematics. As a result of that invitation, Karapınar changed her career plans, choosing aviation over medicine and joining the ranks of the Turkish Air Force.
That important decision in her life marked the beginning of a successful career that has ultimately led her to become the first female general in the history of the Turkish Air Force. In her private life, Özlem İyidilli Karapınar, the second daughter in her family and daughter of teacher Mehmet Emin İyidilli, is married and has one son.
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Pablo Gómez is a specialist in Turkey and has been editor-in-chief of Hispanatolia since 2011. He has been analysing current affairs and geopolitics in Turkey and the surrounding region since 2006.
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