Ozlem Iyidilli Becomes First Woman General of Turkish Air Force

By: Women Entrepreneurs Review Team | Thursday, 6 August 2026

In a historic first for Turkey's military, combat pilot Özlem İyidilli Karapınar has been elevated to the rank of Brigadier General, creating history as the first woman to be commissioned as a general officer in the Turkish Air Force.

Özlem İyidilli was one of the 69 colonels who got promoted to the ranks of general or admiral, while 25 generals and admirals also received promotion to a flag officer rank, as reported by the Turkish Ministry of Defense.

This promotion was one of the many decisions that were made during the annual meeting of the Supreme Military Council, presided over by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. The decisions regarding promotion, retirement, and extensions of service will come into force on August 30, Victory Day for Turkey.

Key Highlights:

• Özlem İyidilli Karapınar becomes Turkish Air Force's first woman general
• Historic promotion breaks the Turkish Air Force's senior leadership barrier
• Military reshuffle marks a breakthrough for women in Turkey's Air Force

Even though she began her academics through admission to the Faculty of Medicine at Ege University, Özlem İyidilli diverted her path when she was chosen for the Turkish Air Force Academy due to her exceptional proficiency in mathematics and sciences. Once she underwent the basic training program in Yalova, she chose to be a combat pilot in the Turkish Air Force.

Highlighting her accomplishments, Özlem Yılmaz was appointed the country’s first-ever female brigadier general through the gendarmerie in 2022. Meanwhile, in 2023, Gökçen Fırat broke new ground by being the first-ever woman to reach the status of rear admiral in the Turkish Navy.

Özlem Yılmaz shatters long-standing barrier in the Turkish Air Force, where women have been active pilots but have not been promoted to high ranks within the Air Force. Her success is the result of a legacy that goes back to Sabiha Gökçen, who is considered one of the earliest female combat pilots in the history of aviation after being trained in the 1930s.

Changes have also been made by the Turkish Armed Forces Supreme Military Council regarding the military’s leadership. General Rafet Dalkıran has been appointed as the Commander of the Turkish Air Force, taking over from General Ziya Cemal Kadıoğlu, who was forced into retirement due to lack of any available position. The Turkish Navy Commander Adm. Ercüment Tatlıoğlu’s term of service has been extended for a year, and the service of 24 generals and 530 colonels has also been renewed.

The decisions made recently bring up the total number of Turkish Army generals and admirals to 334 from 328, according to an announcement by the presidency. The approved changes were made in the annual gathering of the Supreme Military Council, which is responsible for managing promotions, appointments, extensions of military service, and military retirements in the Turkish military.