(Eighth President of the Republic of Turkey: 1989-1993)

Turgut Özal was born in 1927 in Malatya. Following his graduation as an electrical engineer from Istanbul Technical University he studied economics in the United States in 1952. On his return to Turkey, he was appointed deputy director general of the Electrical Works Administration.

He completed his military service in 1961-1962 as a member of the Scientific Consultancy Board in the Ministry of Defence. Later, he took part in the establishment of the State Planning Organisation. Meanwhile, he was also a lecturer at the Middle East Technical University.

He worked as a member of the Board of Technical Experts in the Prime Ministry before he was appointed as the undersecretary of the State Planning Organisation for the period between 1967 and 1971. He chaired the Board of Economic Coordination, the Monetary and Credits Board, the coordination boards for the Organization for Regional Cooperation for Development (RCD) and the European Economic Community (EEC).

From 1971 to 1973, he worked as a consultant in the World Bank . On his return to Turkey, he worked in several industrial organisations before he was appointed as the Undersecretary of the Prime Minister in 1979. Meanwhile, he was also the acting undersecretary of the State Planning Organisation.

He was appointed as deputy prime minister in charge of economic affairs in the government formed after the military takeover in 1980. In 1982, he resigned from government and founded the Motherland Party in 1983. Turgut Özal became Turkey's 19th prime minister when his party won the elections the same year. The Motherland Party won also the 1987 elections and Özal served as prime minister for another term.

He was elected as the eighth president by the Turkish Grand National Assembly on 31 October 1989 and assumed his duties on 9 November 1989. President Turgut Özal passed away on 17 April 1993.

He married Semra in 1954 and had three children.