About Cahit Aral
Lived 1927 – 2011 (aged 83–84). Cahit Aral was a Turkish politician and engineer.
Hüseyin Cahit Aral (1927 – 1 November 2011) was a Turkish engineer, politician and former government minister.
Cahit Aral was born 1927 in Elazığ to primary school teacher parents Fatma and Hakkı Aral. His was named in honor of the writer and journalist Hüseyin Cahit Yalçın (1875–1957). He graduated from the Istanbul Technical University.
Cahit Aral entered politic after working some years in the industry. He was among the founders of the Motherland Party (ANAP), which was established after the 1980 Turkish coup d'état. He served as Minister of Industry of Commerce in the cabinet of Turgut Özal.
He is remembered for his message "Don't worry!" while drinking a glass of tea in front of the cameras following the Chernobyl disaster that occurred on 26 April 1986, and downplaying the disaster's possible risk effects on human health caused by radioactivity released into the environment in the Black Sea Region, where Turkey's tea plantations are located. For this reason, he was nicknamed "Bekerel Cahit" (Cahit the Becquerel).
Cahit Aral died of heart failure on 1 November 2011 in Istanbul.
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Important facts
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Frequently asked questions
Who was Cahit Aral?
Turkish engineer and statesperson (1927–2011)
When was Cahit Aral born?
Cahit Aral was born in 1927 in Elazığ.
When did Cahit Aral die?
Cahit Aral died on 1 November 2011 in Istanbul.
What was Cahit Aral's occupation?
Cahit Aral was a politician and engineer.
What nationality was Cahit Aral?
Cahit Aral was Turkish.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Cahit Aral. https://biography.guide/cahit-aral/
MLA: "Cahit Aral." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/cahit-aral/.
Chicago: "Cahit Aral." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/cahit-aral/.
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