Dainis Turlais (born 24 November 1950 in Madona, Latvian SSR) is a Latvian politician and former Soviet and Latvian officer. After being drafted into the Soviet Army in 1969, he continued his army service in the Group of Soviet Forces in Germany and became an officer, graduating from the Frunze Military Academy in 1985. From 1985 to 1989 he served as chief of the operative department of the 40th Army during the Soviet–Afghan War. He graduated from the K. E. Voroshilov Military Academy of the General Staff of the Soviet Armed Forces in 1990. He returned to Latvia after the collapse of the 1991 Soviet coup d'état attempt.