Altan Öymen passed away

Altan Öymen, one of the former leaders of the Republican People's Party (CHP), died at the age of 93 in the hospital where he was receiving treatment.

Öymen underwent lung surgery last June and was hospitalized 15 days ago with a lung infection. He was admitted to intensive care three days ago and intubated yesterday.

According to the hospital's statement, Öymen died at 14:38 today due to multiple organ failure.

WHO IS ALTAN ÖYMEN?

Altan Öymen was born in Istanbul on June 20, 1932, and grew up in Ankara from the age of five. His father, Hıfzırrahman Raşit Öymen, one of the first teachers of the Republic, served as a member of parliament during the single-party era.

Öymen began his journalism career at Ulus Newspaper in 1950. In an interview with Hürriyet Newspaper, he explained that he published his first magazine with his two siblings when he was 10. Besides Ulus, he worked as a reporter, columnist, or editor for numerous newspapers, including Yeni Ulus, Halkçı, Tercüman, Öncü, Akis, Yeni Gün, Akşam, Cumhuriyet, Günaydın, Milliyet, and Radikal.

He studied while working. He completed his undergraduate studies at the Finance Department of Ankara University's Faculty of Political Sciences in 1955. He also served as Press Attaché at the German Embassy in Bonn in the 1960s.

He entered politics by registering as a CHP member in 1950. Altan Öymen, elected as a CHP deputy for Ankara in 1977, served as Minister of Tourism and Promotion in the government formed by Bülent Ecevit. Deniz Baykal resigned from his post as party leader after the CHP failed to pass the electoral threshold in the 1999 general elections.

At the Extraordinary Congress held that same year, Altan Öymen was elected chairman. His term lasted 15 months. After retiring from active politics, he continued his career as a journalist.

Öymen is also the honorary founder of ANKA News Agency.

The Turkish Journalists Association described Altan Öymen, who celebrated his 70th anniversary in 2020, as a "writer who defends the Republic's achievements" and shared the following message: "We believe that his works and speeches, which shed light on our recent history, will be an important guide for young people."

Altan Öymen, who spoke fluent German and French, was the father of two children.