Historical statespeople
Turgut Özal
The prime minister and president who opened the economy in the 1980s.
The Turkish name
Turgut Özal
Recording on its way.
The story
Turgut Özal, an engineer and economist from Malatya, became prime minister in 1983 and president in 1989. His reforms opened the economy to trade, private enterprise and foreign investment.
He was known for his informal style and his enthusiasm for technology and travel. He died in office in 1993.
At a glance
- Born
- 13 October 1927, Malatya
- Died
- 17 April 1993, Ankara
- Prime minister
- 1983–1989
- President
- 1989–1993