Ahmet Talat Aydemir (1917–1964) was a Turkish military officer and politician. He served as commander of the Army War College and as a Lieutenant Colonel in the General Staff, and is known for his failed military coup attempts in 1962 and 1963. He was tried and executed in 1964.

Early Life and Education

Ahmet Talat Aydemir was born in Istanbul in 1917. He completed his primary and secondary education in the same city. He graduated from the Army War College in 1939 and subsequently received training at the War Academy, becoming a staff officer. The education he received at the academy accelerated his rise within the military, and he held various postings in different units.

Military Career and Coup Attempts

In the 1950s, Aydemir held various positions within the Turkish Republic Army. Although he was not directly involved in the National Unity Committee established after the 27 May 1960 military coup, he became a prominent figure in the restructured military under its influence. In the aftermath of the coup, he was appointed commander of the Army War College. During this tenure, he established influential leadership among the cadets and junior officers at the academy.

On 22 February 1962, Aydemir planned his first military coup attempt against the then government. Led by Aydemir and students of the War College, the attempt briefly gained control in Ankara but was suppressed by military units following a call from the President of the Republic, Cemal Gürsel. The attempt failed. Aydemir was pardoned but discharged from the military.

However, exactly one year later, on 21 May 1963, he launched a second coup attempt. This uprising also ended in failure. After the incident, Aydemir and his associates were arrested and a judicial process was initiated against them.

Trial and Execution

Following the second coup attempt, Aydemir was tried by the Ankara State of Emergency Court and sentenced to death on charges of “attempting to change the constitutional order by force and violence.” The sentence was approved by the President of the Republic. Aydemir was executed on 5 July 1964 at Ulucanlar Prison in Ankara.