A career military man, Kemal Özçelik graduated from the Turkish Military Academy in 1942 and soon gained a reputation as one of Turkey’s best competitive equestrians. He joined the national team in 1946 and secured numerous national and international accolades. Among his notable international appearances were the 1954 European Championships and the 1956 Summer Olympics. In the latter he finished 18th in the three-day individual event, but did not place in the broader team competition, as his compatriots Nail Gönenlı and Fethi Gürcan did not finish. He was a member of the Turkish Armed Forces from 1947 through 1961 and later ran a security consultancy business that worked with the Turkish state, including in an advisory capacity to several Turkish presidents. He retired from competitive eventing in 1960.
Türkiye