Salih Omurtak

Salih Omurtak (* 1889 in Thessaloniki, † June 23, 1954 ) was a Turkish general, and finally from 1946 to 1949 Chief of General Staff ( Genelkurmay Başkanı ).

Life

Omurtak occurred after school in the Ottoman army and was promoted to lieutenant after completion of the Military School ( Harp Okulu ) 1907. Subsequently, he attended the Military Academy ( Harp Akademisi ), which he completed in 1910. In the following years he found use in various army units, before he took a job within the army leadership in Ankara on 22 January 1920.

In 1926 he was promoted to Major General and assumed the post of Commander of the Eighth Army Corps, before he. According to his promotion to lieutenant general in 1930 commander of the IX Army Corps. During this time it came in July 1930 Zilan Massacre, in which it came during the third Ararat revolt in Ercis for the killing of thousands of Kurds. Later he was commander of the III. Army Corps, before Deputy Chief of the General Staff in 1940 and promoted to General.

In 1946 he was first successor of Cemil Cahit Toydemir as commander of the 1st Army. In this role he was also a member of the Supreme Military Council ( Yüksek Asker Şura Üyeliği ).

On July 29, 1946 General Omurtak was successor of Kâzım Orbay as Chief of the General Staff, while General Nuri was Yamut new commander of the 1st Army. The function of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, he held up to his leave of absence for health reasons on 8 June 1949. Successor as Chief of Staff of then was the former commander of the 2nd Army, General Nafiz Gürman. Omurtak thereafter remained formally remains a member of the Supreme Military Council, before he was adopted on 6 July 1950 in retirement.

After his death Omurtak on the Turkish State Cemetery ( Devlet Mezarlığı ) was buried in Ankara.