Suat Atalık is a prominent chess player, holding the title of Grandmaster. He was born in Istanbul, Turkey, in 1964. During his career, he has competed for Turkey (1984–2009) and Bosnia and Herzegovina (2009–2012). His wife, Ekaterina Atalık, is also a chess player with the title of Woman Grandmaster.
Atalık achieved the title of International Master in 1983 and Grandmaster in 1994. He won the Yugoslav Chess Championship in 1987. In 1995, he was awarded the title of Turkish State Champion for his achievements in chess.
Throughout his career, he's achieved considerable success in international tournaments. Notably, he won the European Rapid Chess Championship in Istanbul in 1997, and was victorious in numerous open tournaments in Europe and the United States. He also participated in several Chess Olympiads, representing Turkey until his switch to Bosnia and Herzegovina.
In 2012, controversy arose when Atalık was barred from the Turkish Chess Championship by the Turkish Chess Federation. This was due to his decision to switch national federations and represent Bosnia and Herzegovina. Afterward, a legal dispute occurred which resulted in Atalık being allowed to participate in any tournament organized under the auspices of FIDE, the international chess federation.