Altan Öymen, one of the 40 founding members of GRF, was born on June 20, 1932, in Istanbul. Originally from Trabzon, his family moved to Ankara during his childhood, where he completed his primary and secondary education. He graduated from the Faculty of Political Science at Ankara University in 1955. Öymen began his journalism career in 1950, while still a university student, working as a parliamentary correspondent for Ulus newspaper. Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, he held various roles ranging from reporter to editor-in-chief at major newspapers such as Akşam, Cumhuriyet, Günaydın, Milliyet, and Radikal.

He entered politics in 1961 as a member of the Constituent Assembly and later served as Press Attaché at the Turkish Embassy in Bonn, Germany, from 1962 to 1966. In 1972, he founded the ANKA News Agency and directed it until 1979. Throughout his political career, he held significant roles within the Republican People’s Party (CHP), and was elected as a Member of Parliament for Istanbul in the 1977 and 1995 general elections. He also served as Minister of Tourism and Promotion in the Turkish government.

In 1999, he was elected Chairman of the CHP at the party’s 27th Extraordinary Congress, a position he held for approximately 15 months, before handing the role back at the 2000 congress. With a long-standing career in both journalism and politics, Öymen was a prominent figure who left a lasting mark on Turkey’s recent public life.

We remember with deep respect our esteemed Founding Member, Mr. Altan Öymen, who made invaluable contributions to GRF from its inception. We extend our heartfelt condolences to his family and all who held him dear during this difficult time.