By Bosphorus News Defense Desk
Colonel Özlem Karapınar has been promoted to brigadier general under Türkiye's 2026 Supreme Military Council decisions, becoming the first woman to reach general rank in the Turkish Air Force.
The promotion will take effect on August 30. Karapınar is among the colonels elevated to general or admiral rank following the annual council meeting chaired by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
Karapınar is not the first female general in the Turkish Armed Forces. That distinction belongs to Özlem Yılmaz, who serves in the Land Forces. Gökçen Fırat also became Türkiye's first female admiral after her promotion in 2023.
Sources: Türkiye's Ministry of National Defense, Bosphorus News review and reporting.