# List of ministers of national defense of Turkey

The following is a list of ministers of national defense of Turkey.
| No. | Minister | Term of office | Term of office | Political party |
| 1 | Fevzi Çakmak | 3 May 1920 | 5 August 1921 | Independent |
| 2 | Refet Bele | 5 August 1921 | 10 January 1922 | Independent |
| 3 | Kazım Özalp | 10 January 1922 | 21 November 1924 | Republican People's Party |
| 4 | Fethi Okyar | 22 November 1924 | 3 March 1925 | Republican People's Party |
| 5 | Recep Peker | 4 March 1925 | 1 November 1927 | Republican People's Party |
| 6 | Abdülhalik Renda | 1 November 1927 | 25 December 1930 | Republican People's Party |
| 7 | Zekai Apaydın | 29 December 1930 | 1 March 1935 | Republican People's Party |
| (3) | Kazım Özalp | 1 March 1935 | 18 January 1939 | Republican People's Party |
| 8 | Naci Tınaz | 18 January 1939 | 5 April 1940 | Republican People's Party |
| 9 | Saffet Arıkan | 5 April 1940 | 12 November 1941 | Republican People's Party |
| 10 | Ali Rıza Artunkal | 12 November 1941 | 7 August 1946 | Republican People's Party |
| 11 | Cemil Cahit Toydemir | 7 August 1946 | 5 September 1947 | Republican People's Party |
| 12 | Münir Birsel | 5 September 1947 | 5 June 1948 | Republican People's Party |
| — | Hasan Saka Acting Minister | 5 June 1948 | 10 June 1948 | Republican People's Party |
| 13 | Hüseyin Hüsnü Çakır | 10 June 1948 | 22 May 1950 | Republican People's Party |
| 14 | Refik Şevket İnce | 22 May 1950 | 9 March 1951 | Democrat Party |
| 15 | Ahmet Hulusi Köymen | 9 March 1951 | 10 December 1952 | Democrat Party |
| 16 | Seyfi Kurtbek | 10 December 1952 | 1 November 1953 | Democrat Party |
| 17 | Kenan Yılmaz | 1 November 1953 | 17 May 1954 | Democrat Party |
| 18 | Ethem Menderes | 17 May 1954 | 15 September 1955 | Democrat Party |
| — | Mehmet Fuat Köprülü Acting Minister | 15 September 1955 | 9 December 1955 | Democrat Party |
| — | Adnan Menderes Acting Minister | 9 December 1955 | 28 July 1957 | Democrat Party |
| 19 | Hasan Şemi Ergin | 28 July 1957 | 19 January 1958 | Democrat Party |
| (18) | Ethem Menderes | 19 January 1958 | 27 May 1960 | Democrat Party |
| 20 | Cemal Gürsel | 30 May 1960 | 9 June 1960 | Military |
| 21 | Hüseyin Ataman | 22 October 1960 | 5 January 1961 | Military |
| 22 | Muzaffer Alankuş | 5 January 1961 | 3 July 1961 | Military |
| 23 | İlhami Sancar | 20 November 1961 | 20 February 1965 | Republican People's Party |
| 24 | Hasan Dinçer | 20 February 1965 | 10 August 1965 | Justice Party |
| 25 | Mustafa Hazım Dağlı | 10 August 1965 | 27 October 1965 | Justice Party |
| 26 | Ahmet Topaloğlu | 27 October 1965 | 26 March 1971 | Justice Party |
| 27 | Ferit Melen | 26 March 1971 | 22 May 1972 | Republican Reliance Party |
| 28 | Mehmet İzmen | 22 May 1972 | 15 April 1973 | Justice Party |
| (23) | İlhami Sancar | 15 April 1973 | 26 January 1974 | Republican People's Party |
| 29 | Hasan Esat Işık | 26 January 1974 | 17 November 1974 | Republican People's Party |
| (23) | İlhami Sancar | 17 November 1974 | 31 March 1975 | Republican People's Party |
| (27) | Ferit Melen | 31 March 1975 | 21 June 1977 | Republican Reliance Party |
| (29) | Hasan Esat Işık | 21 June 1977 | 21 July 1977 | Republican People's Party |
| 30 | Sadettin Bilgiç | 21 July 1977 | 18 October 1977 | Justice Party |
| — | Cihat Bilgehan Acting Minister | 14 October 1977 | 28 October 1977 | Justice Party |
| 31 | Turhan Kapanlı | 1 November 1977 | 5 January 1978 | Justice Party |
| (29) | Hasan Esat Işık | 5 January 1978 | 16 January 1979 | Republican People's Party |
| 32 | Neşet Akmandor | 16 January 1979 | 12 November 1979 | Republican People's Party |
| 33 | Ahmet İhsan Birincioğlu | 12 November 1979 | 12 September 1980 | Justice Party |
| 34 | Ümit Haluk Bayülken | 20 September 1980 | 13 December 1983 | Independent |
| 35 | Zeki Yavuztürk | 13 December 1983 | 21 December 1987 | Motherland Party |
| 36 | Ercan Vuralhan | 21 December 1987 | 30 March 1989 | Motherland Party |
| 37 | Safa Giray | 30 March 1989 | 19 October 1990 | Motherland Party |
| — | Güneş Taner Acting Minister | 19 October 1990 | 28 October 1990 | Motherland Party |
| 38 | Hüsnü Doğan | 28 October 1990 | 22 February 1991 | Motherland Party |
| 39 | Mehmet Yazar | 1 March 1991 | 23 June 1991 | Motherland Party |
| 40 | Barlas Doğu | 23 June 1991 | 20 November 1991 | Motherland Party |
| 41 | Nevzat Ayaz | 20 November 1991 | 24 October 1993 | True Path Party |
| 42 | Mehmet Gölhan | 24 October 1993 | 5 October 1995 | True Path Party |
| 43 | Vefa Tanır | 5 October 1995 | 6 March 1996 | True Path Party |
| 44 | Mahmut Oltan Sungurlu | 6 March 1996 | 28 June 1996 | Motherland Party |
| 45 | Turhan Tayan | 28 June 1996 | 30 June 1997 | True Path Party |
| 46 | İsmet Sezgin | 30 June 1997 | 11 January 1999 | Democrat Turkey Party |
| 47 | Hikmet Sami Türk | 11 January 1999 | 28 May 1999 | Democratic Left Party |
| 48 | Sabahattin Çakmakoğlu | 28 May 1999 | 18 November 2002 | Nationalist Movement Party |
| 49 | Vecdi Gönül | 18 November 2002 | 6 July 2011 | Justice and Development Party |
| 50 | İsmet Yılmaz | 6 July 2011 | 1 July 2015 | Justice and Development Party |
| (49) | Vecdi Gönül | 3 July 2015 | 24 November 2015 | Justice and Development Party |
| (50) | İsmet Yılmaz | 24 November 2015 | 24 May 2016 | Justice and Development Party |
| 51 | Fikri Işık | 24 May 2016 | 19 July 2017 | Justice and Development Party |
| 52 | Nurettin Canikli | 19 July 2017 | 10 July 2018 | Justice and Development Party |
| 53 | Hulusi Akar | 10 July 2018 | 3 June 2023 | Justice and Development Party |
| 54 | Yaşar Güler | 3 June 2023 | Incumbent | Justice and Development Party |