Who is Air Pilot Lieutenant Colonel, Captain Pilot Mustafa Özden Türkön?

Mustafa Özden Türkön, a retired captain pilot from Turkish Airlines (THY), died on Monday 20.4.2020 due to coronavirus. For 69-year-old Türkön, a donor who had overcome the disease was being sought.

Mustafa Özden Türkön, who served at THY for many years, continued his duty at THY as a simulator instructor after his retirement. Following Türkön's death, Turkish Airline Pilots Association (TALPA) made the following statement: "We would like to honour our esteemed member Em. Kpt. Mustafa Özden Türkön has passed away. We wish God's mercy to the deceased and condolences to his grieving family. Our condolences to our community. Best regards."

Mustafa Özden Türkön, a native of Mersin Mut and a Mut enthusiast, was born on 21 April 1951 in Merzifon, where the 5th Main Jet Base Command was located, where his father was serving as an air petty officer at the time. He completed his high school education at Eskişehir Atatürk High School. After graduating from Eskişehir Atatürk High School with honours, Türkön enrolled in the Air Force Academy in 1967. Özden Türkön graduated as a lieutenant in 1970.

Cyprus Peace Operation Volcano Squadron

(Personnel of Volkan Squadron who participated in the Cyprus Peace Operation (Özden Türkön is seen standing on the wing of the aircraft, second from the right), and the Squadron Commander is seen with the late Nurettin Gül (Air Pilot Lieutenant General)).

After graduation, he served at the 2nd Main Jet Flight Training Centre Command/Çiğli between 1970-72 and was transferred to the 114th Volcano Squadron at the 1st Main Jet Base Command/Eskişehir with the rank of Pilot Lieutenant. While serving in this squadron, he participated in the 1974 Cyprus Peace Operation with F-84F aircraft.

114th Volkan Squadron in Eskişehir

(From left to right. Karadere, Türkön, Nurettin Gül, Akkuş, Dikici, Tekintayyar. Aircraft no: 948)

Özden Türkön married Melek Hanım on 2 September 1975. The couple had two daughters, Ceyda and Beste.

In 1975, Türkön was assigned to the 191st Cobra Squadron Command at the 9th Main Jet Base Command/Balıkesir. As he was the youngest and most junior pilot of the squadron, he was nicknamed 'Takoz' by the older members of the squadron. Thus, for years, wherever he went, he was nicknamed 'Takoz' instead of Türkön. He made his first flight in the 191st Squadron with Squadron Commander Oktay Karasoy (the late air pilot lieutenant general). He described this first flight as follows:

"The year 1975. After 2.5 years of flight experience in F-84F aircraft, I was assigned to Balıkesir 191st Cobra Squadron with the rank of first lieutenant. I remember that at that time, they did not assign those who did not have a minimum of 2 years of continental flight experience to F-104 aircraft due to the idea of danger. I flew my first flight with the legendary Starfighter aircraft without a type tank with my favourite Squadron Commander Oktay Karasoy. The purpose of this sortie was to show the performance of the aircraft to the first flyer. Today, when I saw Mach 2 flight for the first time, was an incredible and unforgettable day for me after the F-84 aircraft."

Cobras Together (1978)

(The two pilots I have marked in this picture, Erdoğan Şan and Özden Türkön, and Feyzi Altunbulak, who was assigned to the 192nd Tiger Squadron at the same time, shared a common fate and lost their lives years later in the same year, 2020, due to the coronavirus outbreak).

Standing in order:

Erdoğan Şan, 4th Lütfü Şenel, İsmail Ürek, next İsmail Ergüt, Özden Türkön, far right, behind Mümtaz Tolluoğlu

Seated:

Sinan Osay, Arif Özkul, Günay Özcan, Ahmet Fırıncı, Namık Kemal Aşıcı, Atilla Savaşan, Ömer Şengün, Yılmaz Pekkaya, Metin Erginli

Farewell flight with Starfighter (aircraft number 6-182)

After serving in various units, Türkön served as the Commander of the 161st Eagle Squadron at the 6th Main Jet Base Command/Bandırma between 1988 and 1990. During a flight in Bandırma, when the nose landing gear of an F-104 aircraft failed to open, he had to put the aircraft on the nose at the end of the landing, but he kept the aircraft on the runway and ensured that the accident did not escalate further.

Following the end of his duty as Squadron Commander, he decided to say goodbye to both F-104s and the Air Force.

After retiring from the Air Force, he worked as a flight instructor at Anadolu University in Eskişehir for two years. Afterwards, Özden Türkön joined Turkish Airlines and flew in RJ-100 and Boeing B-737 aircraft.

A friend of ours describes Özden as follows: "He was a cultural ambassador. He was the father of the idea of naming an aircraft at THY after Mut. He is a Mut lover whose heart always beats for Mut. A very witty and friendly person, Özden was a valuable person, a good father, a good husband and a very good pilot."

Flying for 20 years in F-84 and F-104 fighter jets in the Turkish Air Force, becoming a staff member and serving as Squadron Commander, and then continuing his flying life at Anadolu University and THY, Takoz Özden retired in 2014 while he was at THY, having flown a total of 25,000 hours in his 44 years of flying life. After his retirement, he continued to train future pilots by working as a simulator instructor at THY. With his different personality and his love for teaching, he became one of the most sought-after instructors in THY simulator training.

Two months before his passing, he is seen with Captain Mert Yardımcı and Captain Gökhan Gürbüz in the THY simulator (23 February 2020).

While working as a simulator instructor at THY, the coronavirus outbreak took Takoz Türkön ÖZDEN from us.

He passed away on 12 April 2020.

May his soul rest in peace.