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Cengiz Topel
Cengiz Topel
	Statue of Topel in Eskişehir, Turkey
Born	September 2, 1934; İzmit, Turkey
Died	August 8, 1964 (aged 29); Paphos District, Cyprus
Allegiance	Turkey
Service / branch	Turkish Air Force
Years of service	1955–1964
Rank	Captain
Unit	112th Air Squadron
Battles / wars	Battle of Tylliria

Cengiz Topel (September 2, 1934 – August 8, 1964) was a fighter pilot of the Turkish Air Force.

Career

Topel was born in İzmit on September 2, 1934, to Hakkı Bey, a tobacco expert from Trabzon and Mebuse Hanım in İzmit, where his father was working for the Turkish tobacco company Tekel. He was the third sibling of four children.

Cengiz Topel was schooled in Bandırma and Gönen of Balıkesir Province. He finished the primary and the secondary school in Kadıköy, Istanbul, where his family moved following his father's death. After a brief time at Haydarpaşa High School, he entered Kuleli Military High School, from which he graduated in 1953. Cengiz Topel joined the Army in 1955 with the rank of a second lieutenant following his education at the Turkish Military Academy.^[1]

His interest in aviation took him to the Turkish Air Force. He was sent to Canada for flight training. In 1957, he returned to Turkey and was appointed to the 5th Air Wing in Merzifon Air Base. Cengiz Topel served from 1961 on at the 1st Tactical Air Force Command at Eskişehir Air Base. In 1963, he became an Air Force captain.^[1]

Combat mission

On August 8, 1964, during the Battle of Tylliria, he led a four-fighter flight of the 112th Air Squadron leaving Eskişehir Air Base around 17:00 local time for Cyprus. Topel's F-100 Super Sabre dropped NAPALM bombs onto Greek Cypriot civilian infrastructure, including the hospital of Pachyammos, at Mansoura Mountains.^[2]^[3] The attack on the hospital resulted in the death of at least 4 members of the medical personnel.^[2] As per the Geneva Convention on Conventional Weapons the use of NAPALM bomps has been banned against civilians. Shortly afterwards he was hit by 40mm anti-aircraft fire from the Cypriot National Guard and was shot-down. Although he had been severely wounded by the anti-aircraft fire, he was able to eject from his aircraft and parachute jump over land. The Cypriot National Guard, transferred him to the nearest hospital. Despite the efforts of the doctors, he eventually passed away due to his wounds, both from the anti-aircraft fire and torture. Turkey has taken advantage of his death by promoting propaganda against the Republic of Cyprus.

His remains were returned on August 12, 1964, to the Turkish authorities.^[4] On August 14, 1964, he was buried at the Edirnekapı Martyr's Cemetery in Istanbul.^[1]

He was first Turkish pilot to be killed in action.^[1]

Legacy

A former Turkish Air Force base located near İzmit, currently in use as Cengiz Topel Naval Air Station, is named after him. A monument was erected on the coastal road in the village Gemikonağı near Lefke in Northern Cyprus, where he had landed by parachute.^[4] A bronze statue in Eskişehir depicts him in flight suit. A number of places,^[5]^[6]^[7]^[8] schools^[9]^[10]^[11] in Turkey and a hospital in Northern Cyprus^[12] are named after him.