Süleyman Sami Demirel (; 1 November 1924 – 17 June 2015) was a
Turkish politician, engineer, and statesman who served as the
9th President of Turkey from 1993 to 2000. He previously served as the
Prime Minister of Turkey seven times between the years 1965 and 1993. He was the leader of the
Justice Party (AP) from 1964 to 1980 and the leader of the
True Path Party (DYP) from 1987 to 1993.
Having been identified as a potential future Prime Minister by
Adnan Menderes
Adnan Menderes (; 1899 – 17 September 1961) was a Turkish politician who served as Prime Minister of Turkey between 1950 and 1960. He was one of the founders of the Democrat Party (DP) in 1946, the fourth legal opposition party of Turkey. He ...
, Demirel was elected leader of the Justice Party in 1964 and managed to bring down the government of
İsmet İnönü
Mustafa İsmet İnönü (; 24 September 1884 – 25 December 1973) was a Turkish army officer and statesman of Kurdish descent, who served as the second President of Turkey from 11 November 1938 to 22 May 1950, and its Prime Minister three time ...
in 1965 despite not being a
Member of Parliament
A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house members o ...
. He supported the government of
Suat Hayri Ürgüplü until his party won a parliamentary majority in
1965
Events January–February
* January 14 – The Prime Minister of Northern Ireland and the Taoiseach of the Republic of Ireland meet for the first time in 43 years.
* January 20
** Lyndon B. Johnson is sworn in for a full term ...
. He became the first Prime Minister born in the
Republic of Turkey. Claiming that his Justice Party was the successor of the banned
Democrat Party, he was re-elected as premier in
1969
This year is notable for Apollo 11's first landing on the moon.
Events January
* January 4 – The Government of Spain hands over Ifni to Morocco.
* January 5
**Ariana Afghan Airlines Flight 701 crashes into a house on its approach to ...
by winning a parliamentary majority for a second time. Despite his
economic reforms which stabilised
inflation
In economics, inflation is an increase in the general price level of goods and services in an economy. When the general price level rises, each unit of currency buys fewer goods and services; consequently, inflation corresponds to a reduct ...
, he resigned after his budget was blocked by parliament, but formed his third government shortly after. His premiership came to an end following the
1971 Turkish coup d'état.
Demirel was the leader of the opposition from 1971 to 1975 before forming a right-wing government known as the
First Nationalist Front, which collapsed in 1977. He formed the
Second Nationalist Front cabinet in 1977, which collapsed in 1978. Demirel's
minority government
A minority government, minority cabinet, minority administration, or a minority parliament is a government and cabinet formed in a parliamentary system when a political party or coalition of parties does not have a majority of overall seats in t ...
in 1979 was unable to
elect a president in 1980, leading to the
1980 Turkish coup d'état
The 1980 Turkish coup d'état ( tr, 12 Eylül Darbesi), headed by Chief of the General Staff General Kenan Evren, was the third coup d'état in the history of the Republic of Turkey, the previous having been the 1960 coup and the 1971 coup ...
which banned Demirel from politics. Returning to politics in
1987, he assumed the leadership of the True Path Party. He won the
1991 general election and formed a coalition with the
Social Democratic Populist Party (SHP), assuming his fifth and final term as Prime Minister. Following the sudden death of serving President
Turgut Özal, Demirel contested the
1993 presidential election and subsequently became the ninth President of Turkey until 2000. With 10 years and 5 months, his tenure as premier is the third longest in Turkish history, after
İsmet İnönü
Mustafa İsmet İnönü (; 24 September 1884 – 25 December 1973) was a Turkish army officer and statesman of Kurdish descent, who served as the second President of Turkey from 11 November 1938 to 22 May 1950, and its Prime Minister three time ...
and
Recep Tayyip Erdoğan
Recep Tayyip Erdoğan (born 26 February 1954) is a Turkish politician serving as the 12th and current president of Turkey since 2014. He previously served as prime minister of Turkey from 2003 to 2014 and as mayor of Istanbul from 1994 to ...
.
Family
Süleyman Demirel was born on 1 November 1924, İslamköy,
Atabey, a town in
Isparta Province to
Hacı
Hacı is the Turkish spelling of the title and epithet Hajji. It may refer to:
People
* Hacı I Giray (died 1466), founder and the first ruler of the Crimean Khanate
* Hacı Ahmet ( 1566), purported Turkish cartographer
* Hacı Arif Bey (1831� ...
Yahya Demirel (1893-1972) and Hacı Ümmühan Demirel (1902-1979). He was a shepherd in his childhood. Upon completion of his elementary school education in his hometown, he attended middle and high schools in Isparta,
Muğla
Muğla () is a city in southwestern Turkey. The city is the center of the District of Menteşe and Muğla Province, which stretches along Turkey's Aegean coast. Muğla's center is situated inland at an altitude of 660 m and lies at a dista ...
, and
Afyon. In 1948, he married
Nazmiye Şener, his second cousin.
Engineering career
After graduating from the school of
civil engineering
Civil engineering is a professional engineering discipline that deals with the design, construction, and maintenance of the physical and naturally built environment, including public works such as roads, bridges, canals, dams, airports, sewa ...
at the
Istanbul Technical University in 1949,
Süleyman Demirel worked in the
State Department
The United States Department of State (DOS), or State Department, is an executive department of the U.S. federal government responsible for the country's foreign policy and relations. Equivalent to the ministry of foreign affairs of other na ...
for electrical power planning. He undertook postgraduate studies on
irrigation
Irrigation (also referred to as watering) is the practice of applying controlled amounts of water to land to help grow crops, landscape plants, and lawns. Irrigation has been a key aspect of agriculture for over 5,000 years and has been devel ...
, electrical technologies, and
dam construction in the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...
, first in 1949–1950, then in 1954–1955. During the construction of the
Seyhan Dam
The Seyhan Dam is a hydroelectric dam on the Seyhan River north of Adana, Turkey
The dam was constructed in the 1950s as the first in a series of hydroelectric projects funded by the World Bank. The project was authorized by Prime Minister Adnan ...
, Demirel worked as a project engineer and in 1954 was appointed Director of the Department of Dams. In 1955, he served as Director General of the
State Hydraulic Works (DSİ). As such, Demirel supervised the construction of a various power plants, dams and irrigation facilities.
Eisenhower Fellowships selected Süleyman Demirel in 1954 to represent Turkey.
After the
coup d'état
A coup d'état (; French for 'stroke of state'), also known as a coup or overthrow, is a seizure and removal of a government and its powers. Typically, it is an illegal seizure of power by a political faction, politician, cult, rebel group, m ...
in 1960, he was drafted to the
Turkish Army for
compulsory military service
Conscription (also called the draft in the United States) is the state-mandated enlistment of people in a national service, mainly a military service. Conscription dates back to antiquity and it continues in some countries to the present day ...
.
Upon completion of his military service, he worked as a freelance engineer and a representative of
Morrison Construction
Galliford Try plc is a British construction company based in Leicester, England. It was created through a merger in 2000 of two businesses: Try Group, founded in 1908 in London, and Galliford, founded in 1916.
Formerly involved in house-buildi ...
, a U.S. company. During this period, he also worked as a part-time lecturer of
hydraulic engineering
Hydraulic engineering as a sub-discipline of civil engineering is concerned with the flow and conveyance of fluids, principally water and sewage. One feature of these systems is the extensive use of gravity as the motive force to cause the m ...
at the
Middle East Technical University (ODTÜ) in Ankara.
Entry to politics
His political career started with his election to the executive board of the
Justice Party,
[ founded by the former general Ragıp Gümüşpala as a replacement of the Democrat Party that was banned after the military coup of 27 May 1960. Journalist and MP Cihat Baban claims in ''The Gallery of Politics (Politika Galerisi)'', that President ]Cemal Gürsel
Cemal Gürsel (; 13 October 1895 – 14 September 1966) was a Turkish army general who became the fourth President of Turkey after a coup.
Early life
He was born in the city of Erzurum as the son of an Ottoman Army officer, Abidin Bey, and ...
told him:
Demirel's rural, central Anatolian accent and the fact that he came from a village from the countryside made him very appealing to rural voters.
On 22 March 1963, the imprisoned former president Celal Bayar Celal is both a masculine Turkish given name and a surname. It is the Turkish form of the Arabic word Jalal (جلال), which means "majesty". Notable people with the name include:
Given name
* Celal Al (born 1984), Turkish actor
* Celal Esat Ar ...
was released on parole, causing protests in front of Justice Party headquarters. Demirel resigned from his position during the ordeal, and claimed that "There wouldn't be democracy in this country for another 50 years". He remained politically inactive until the death of Ragıp Gümüşpala in June 1964 when he re-entered politics as a candidate for chairman of the party. However, Demirel faced strong opposition. His biggest rival was Sadettin Bilgiç, nicknamed "koca reis" (Turkish: "big captain"). Bilgiç supporters accused Demirel of being a freemason
Freemasonry or Masonry refers to fraternal organisations that trace their origins to the local guilds of stonemasons that, from the end of the 13th century, regulated the qualifications of stonemasons and their interaction with authorities ...
; While this was true, Demirel averted the crisis with a lie. Instead of writing to his own lodge, he petitioned a separate freemason's lodge asking whether he was a member or not. As expected, the lodge chairman answered negatively. This turned the tide in Demirel's favor, and he received enough votes to become the chairman of the Justice Party, receiving 1,072 votes to Bilgiç's 552, and Tekin Arıburun's 39.
Demirel was elected chairman at the second grand party convention on 28 November 1964. He facilitated the formation of a caretaker government
A caretaker government is a temporary ''ad hoc'' government that performs some governmental duties and functions in a country until a regular government is elected or formed. Depending on specific practice, it usually consists of either randomly se ...
that ruled between February and October 1965 under the premiership of Suat Hayri Ürgüplü in which he served as Deputy Prime Minister
A deputy prime minister or vice prime minister is, in some countries, a government minister who can take the position of acting prime minister when the prime minister is temporarily absent. The position is often likened to that of a vice president, ...
. Under his leadership, the Justice Party won an unprecedented majority of the votes in the 1965 general election and formed a majority government
A majority government is a government by one or more governing parties that hold an absolute majority of seats in a legislature. This is as opposed to a minority government, where the largest party in a legislature only has a plurality of seats ...
. Demirel thus became the youngest-ever Prime Minister in Turkish history at the age of 40.
First premiership
Demirel was one of the first of a new generation born in the 1920s that were now entering politics known as the "Republican Generation", during which heroes of the Turkish War of Independence
The Turkish War of Independence "War of Liberation", also known figuratively as ''İstiklâl Harbi'' "Independence War" or ''Millî Mücadele'' "National Struggle" (19 May 1919 – 24 July 1923) was a series of military campaigns waged by th ...
such as İsmet İnönü, Celâl Bayar and Ragıp Gümüşpala were gradually withdrawing from politics.
Shortly after coming to power he faced was the "Presidential crisis" when Cemal Gürsel, who assumed the presidency after the adoption of the 1961 Constitution, stated that his poor health prevented him from continuing his duty. Demirel nominated the Chief of the General Staff, Cevdet Sunay for the presidency in order to soften the army's attitude towards the Justice Party, who became president in 1966.
In the next elections
An election is a formal group decision-making process by which a population chooses an individual or multiple individuals to hold public office.
Elections have been the usual mechanism by which modern representative democracy has opera ...
on 10 October 1969, his party was the sole winner by a landslide once again. Demirel presided over the laying the foundations of the Keban Dam, the Bosphorus Bridge and an oil pipeline between Batman
Batman is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on March 30, 1939. I ...
and İskenderun
İskenderun ( ar, الإسكندرونة, el, Αλεξανδρέττα "Little Alexandria"), historically known as Alexandretta and Scanderoon, is a city in Hatay Province on the Mediterranean coast of Turkey.
Names
The city was founded as Ale ...
. Economic reforms stabilized inflation
In economics, inflation is an increase in the general price level of goods and services in an economy. When the general price level rises, each unit of currency buys fewer goods and services; consequently, inflation corresponds to a reduct ...
, and Turkey became one of the fastest growing economies. However boycotts and strikes by university students in 1968 began political instability which especially concerned the Turkish military. Pressure was also mounting from the United States, as the Nixon Administration wished for Turkey to ban the cultivation of opium, which would have been politically costly for Demirel to implement. Demirel also had trouble brewing inside his own party, as while he attempted to issue an amnesty to ex-Democrats, he was effectively vetoed by the Turkish military. As a result, in 1970, several ex-DP deputies left the Justice Party to found the Democratic Party, while the Islamists also left to found the National Order Party under Necmettin Erbakan.
The chaotic seventies
1971 Memorandum
A worsening economy, the 15-16 June events, one of the biggest workers protests in the history of Turkey; disagreements between the government and military over the Cyprus dispute
The Cyprus problem, also known as the Cyprus dispute, Cyprus issue, Cyprus question or Cyprus conflict, is an ongoing dispute between Greek Cypriots in the south and Turkish Cypriots in the north. Initially, with the occupation of the island ...
, escalations of tensions with Greece, and conflict between leftists and rightists served to define the last years of Demirel's first premiership as politically unstable. He blamed the liberal constitution for the crisis. He resigned as Prime Minister after his budget was blocked by parliament, but formed his third government shortly after. A military coup attempt by National Democratic Revolutionaries on 9 March 1971 finally resulted in a direct military intervention on 12 March, and Demirel resigned for a military supported government under Nihat Erim.
The constitutional amendments that Demirel wished for were implemented during technocratic military governance which relied on support from parliament. In the spring of 1973, with the presidential election
A presidential election is the election of any head of state whose official title is President.
Elections by country
Albania
The president of Albania is elected by the Assembly of Albania who are elected by the Albanian public.
Chile
The p ...
on the agenda, he reached an agreement with the new leader of the Republican People's Party
The Republican People's Party ( tr, Cumhuriyet Halk Partisi, , acronymized as CHP ) is a Kemalist and social-democratic political party in Turkey which currently stands as the main opposition party. It is also the oldest political party i ...
(CHP), Bülent Ecevit
Mustafa Bülent Ecevit (; 28 May 1925 – 5 November 2006) was a Turkish politician, statesman, poet, writer, scholar, and journalist, who served as the Prime Minister of Turkey four times between 1974 and 2002. He served as prime minister in ...
, to support Fahri Korutürk as president instead of Faruk Gürler.
Nationalist Front governments
With the Justice Party emerging second in the general election in 1973, a grand CHP-AP coalition was expected. However, Demirel announced that "We can only come together in war." CHP instead formed a coalition with Erbakan's new Islamist party, the National Salvation Party
The National Salvation Party ( tr, Millî Selâmet Partisi, MSP) was an Islamist political party in Turkey, founded on 11 October 1972 as the successor of the banned National Order Party (''Millî Nizam Partisi'', MNP). The party was formed by a ...
(MSP). Ecevit's government carried out the Cyprus Operation, but ideological conflicts in the government prompted Ecevit to resign on 18 September 1974 and hold early elections. However early elections never happened, and instead Sadi Irmak
Mahmut Sadi Irmak (May 15, 1904, Seydişehir – November 11, 1990, Istanbul) was a Turkish academic in physiology, politician and former Prime Minister of Turkey.
Biography
He was born in the town Seydişehir of Konya, Ottoman Empi ...
had to head a caretaker government
A caretaker government is a temporary ''ad hoc'' government that performs some governmental duties and functions in a country until a regular government is elected or formed. Depending on specific practice, it usually consists of either randomly se ...
that lasted for more than 200 days from September 1974 to March 1975. March 31, under the leadership of Demirel, a right-wing coalition government was established consisting of the Justice Party, MSP, the Nationalist Movement Party
The Nationalist Movement Party (alternatively translated as Nationalist Action Party; tr, Milliyetçi Hareket Partisi, MHP) is a Turkish far-right and ultranationalist political party. The group is often described as neo-fascist, and has bee ...
(MHP), and the Republican Reliance Party that was known as the " First Nationalist Front". In order for the coalition to survive, Islamist MSP supporters and ultranationalist MHP members were recruited within state institutions, intensifying the renewed political violence of the 1970s. 42 people were killed in a 1977 May Day ralley at Taksim Square
Taksim Square ( tr, Taksim Meydanı, ), situated in Beyoğlu in the European part of Istanbul, Turkey, is a major tourist and leisure district famed for its restaurants, shops, and hotels. It is considered the heart of modern Istanbul, with the ...
. The country entered an economic depression caused by a rise in global petrol prices, deficit in foreign payments and rapid inflation. Süleyman Demirel's nephew, Yahya Kemal Demirel, was arrested for corruption after an investigation by the journalist Uğur Mumcu during this period.
Despite gaining support in the 1977 elections the Justice Party again lost to CHP, which received 41.4 percent of the vote. However, Ecevit was not able to form a government, so Demirel became prime minister again, forming the Second Nationalist Front with only MSP and MHP. This government fell in a no-confidence vote on December 31, 1977, in what was known as the Güneş Motel Incident, where 13 Justice Party MPs defected from their party to support a CHP government where they received cabinet positions. Demirel refused to establish a dialogue with the CHP-dominated government and conducted a vicious opposition to Ecevit, constantly referred to him as "head of government
The head of government is the highest or the second-highest official in the executive branch of a sovereign state, a federated state, or a self-governing colony, autonomous region, or other government who often presides over a cabinet, a ...
" instead of "prime minister
A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is ...
". Referring to Ecevit's government, Demirel said "In no country in the world, could such a government cevit'swith 1200 deaths, 70% inflation, disrepute, cruelty, torture, unjust and merciless partisanship stand for even one day. A cadre that has exceeded its ambition has usurped the administration." On February 21, 1979, he announced to President Korutürk that they were against the extension of martial law
Martial law is the imposition of direct military control of normal civil functions or suspension of civil law by a government, especially in response to an emergency where civil forces are overwhelmed, or in an occupied territory.
Use
Martia ...
.
The troubles brought by American embargo, inflation, and escalating political violence meant Ecevit lost the 1979 by-elections, prompting his resignation. Demirel returned as prime minister, and established a minority government due to the negative atmosphere created by the Nationalist Front governments (MSP and MHP still provided confidence). His last premiership before the 1980 coup saw the implementation of the 24 January decisions which proved to be a turning point in Turkey's transition to a neoliberal
Neoliberalism (also neo-liberalism) is a term used to signify the late 20th century political reappearance of 19th-century ideas associated with free-market capitalism after it fell into decline following the Second World War. A prominent f ...
economy. With political violence and assassinations at an all-time high, top military generals delivered a memorandum to President Korutürk, urging for politicians to put aside their differences to solve the country's problems, but this memerandum did nothing to get Demirel and Ecevit to cooperate. As Fahri Korutürk's presidential term was ending, a crisis brewed as to who would succeed him, with Demirel and Ecevit failing 115 times to elect a new president. Demirel's government lasted until the coup of 12 September 1980, which banned him from politics.
Demirel opened 268 İmam Hatip schools in his premierships between 1965 and 1980, becoming one of the politicians who opened the most İmam Hatip schools.
Ban from politics
With the military coup on 12 September 1980, Demirel's prime ministry ended and he was kept under surveillance in Hamzaköy, Gelibolu
Gelibolu, also known as Gallipoli (from el, Καλλίπολις, ''Kallipolis'', "Beautiful City"), is the name of a town and a district in Çanakkale Province of the Marmara Region, located in Eastern Thrace in the European part of Turkey on ...
for a month. He did not resign as chairman of the Justice Party until it was dissolved in 1981. With a provisional article in the new Constitution
A constitution is the aggregate of fundamental principles or established precedents that constitute the legal basis of a polity, organisation or other type of entity and commonly determine how that entity is to be governed.
When these pr ...
, he and most politicians were banned from politics for 10 years. However, he maintained ties with his party's former leaders. After political parties were allowed to be established in May 1983, Demirel declared, "I do not build shanty houses on my land with a title deed." He did not support the party that the military administration tried to have Bülend Ulusu founded, the Nationalist Democracy Party
Nationalist Democracy Party ( tr, Milliyetçi Demokrasi Partisi, MDP) was a former political party in Turkey.
Background
About one year after the coup of 1980, all political parties were closed by the military regime, or the so-called National ...
, nor the Motherland Party (ANAP) led by his protégé Turgut Özal. On May 20, 1983, the Great Turkey Party
Great Turkey Party ( tr, Büyük Türkiye Partisi, BTP) was a short lived Turkey, Turkish political party in 1983.
Background
After the coup of 1980, all political parties were closed by the military rule (so called National Security Council ...
(BTP) was established by former Justice Party members, but it was swiftly banned by the National Security Council on the grounds that it was a continuation of the Justice Party. Demirel, along with former CHP and Justice Party members was forced to stay for four months in Zincirbozan Zincirbozan is a location in Çanakkale Province, Turkey, notable because of its fame as the compulsory residence of politicians in 1983.
Zincirbozan is situated in Çardak belde of Lapseki ilçe (district) facing the Sea of Marmara. Formerly there ...
, Çanakkale, on the grounds that he violated the political ban.
Last premiership
In 1986, Demirel launched a successful campaign for the lifting of pre-1980 politicians' political bans and initiated a referendum
A referendum (plural: referendums or less commonly referenda) is a Direct democracy, direct vote by the Constituency, electorate on a proposal, law, or political issue. This is in contrast to an issue being voted on by a Representative democr ...
on the issue. Only 18 days after his political ban was rescinded, he was elected chairman at the extraordinary convention of the True Path Party (DYP), a new successor party to the Justice Party. He was re-elected Deputy of Isparta in the 1987 general election.
Following the 1991 election, Süleyman Demirel became Prime Minister once again in a coalition government with the Social Democratic Populist Party. Demirel acknowledged the distinction of Kurds ug:كۇردلار
Kurds ( ku, کورد ,Kurd, italic=yes, rtl=yes) or Kurdish people are an Iranian peoples, Iranian ethnic group native to the mountainous region of Kurdistan in Western Asia, which spans southeastern Turkey, northwestern Ir ...
being a different ethnicity from Turks, reformed criminal procedure law, removed the ban on all party names and abbreviations accumulated from military coups, and ratified international conventions on trade union freedoms. The "Green Card" social security program was also established and the age requirement for retirement was abolished. While the government had success combating far-left terrorist groups, the assassinations of journalist Uğur Mumcu and Gendarme
Wrong info! -->
A gendarmerie () is a military force with law enforcement duties among the civilian population. The term ''gendarme'' () is derived from the medieval French expression ', which translates to "Man-at-arms, men-at-arms" ...
commander Eşref Bitlis shocked the country. Though both coalition partners advocated for ending the OHAL zone and the village guard system in southeast Anatolia, Operation Provide Comfort meant the policies had to continue in the unstable region.
During this period, he carried out a strong opposition to his protégé and soon president, Turgut Özal, with whom he prepared the 24 January Decisions.
Presidency
After the sudden death of Özal, Demirel was elected the ninth President of Turkey in 1993 by the Grand National Assembly. Resigning his party chairmanship, his successor for leadership of DYP became Turkey's first female prime minister, Tansu Çiller.
President Demirel drew backlash from statements he made in the aftermath of the Sivas Massacre in which 35 intellectuals lost their lives when they were trapped in a burning hotel by a mob, which took place just one and a half months after he became president. He said "The incident is an isolated incident. There was heavy provocation. As a result of this provocation, the people were agitated... The security forces did their best... There was no conflict between the groups. There was nlyloss of life due to the burning of the hotel.”
Demirel gave Azerbaijani President Heydar Aliyev
Heydar Alirza oghlu Aliyev ( az, Һејдәр Әлирза оғлу Әлијев, italic=no, Heydər Əlirza oğlu Əliyev, ; , ; 10 May 1923 – 12 December 2003) was a Soviet and Azerbaijani politician who served as the third president of Azer ...
advanced notice of an upcoming coup attempt against his government backed by various factions of the Turkish army and intelligence services. President Demirel survived an assassination attempt in 1996 in a ribbon-cutting ceremony to open a shopping mall in İzmit. The would be assassin, İbrahim Gümrükçüoğlu said in his defence that he did not intend to kill the President, but that he intended to shoot into the air with his pistol to protest Turkey's military cooperation agreement with Israel. Doctors later diagnosed Gümrükçüoğlu with paranoia
Paranoia is an instinct or thought process that is believed to be heavily influenced by anxiety or fear, often to the point of delusion and irrationality. Paranoid thinking typically includes persecutory beliefs, or beliefs of conspiracy c ...
.
Demirel's role in the 1997 " Postmodern Coup" is controversial, with some accusing him of leading the effort to bring down Necmittin Erbakan's REFAHYOL government while others claimed that he prevented a complete military takeover by easing the tension. He did not appoint his protegé Tansu Çiller prime minister, but instead ANAP chairman Mesut Yılmaz. Erbakan's Welfare Party, Ciller's DYP and the BBP opposed the move.
In 1997, he participated in a conference organized by the Journalists and Writers Foundation, of which Fethullah Gülen was its honorary chairman, and received the "Statesman National Reconciliation Award" from Gülen.
Though there was an attempt to extend his presidential term by another five years, Demirel stepped down from the presidency on April 5. He handed over his duty to Ahmet Necdet Sezer
Ahmet Necdet Sezer (; born 13 September 1941) is a Turkish statesman and judge who served as the tenth president of Turkey from 2000 to 2007. Previously he was president of the Constitutional Court of Turkey from 1998 to 2002. The Grand Nation ...
on 16 May 2000. With his retirement from politics, his overall tenure as Prime Minister was shorter than only İsmet İnönü's and Recep Tayyip Erdogan's.
Later life and death
Following his retirement from politics, Demirel was a frequent panelist and speaker at several places, mostly in universities, within Turkey. His wife Nazmiye passed away on 27 May 2013, in the hospital where she was treated for Alzheimer
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease that usually starts slowly and progressively worsens. It is the cause of 60–70% of cases of dementia. The most common early symptom is difficulty in remembering recent events. As t ...
's. Süleyman Demirel died on 17 June 2015 at the Güven hospital in Ankara where he had been undergoing treatment for a respiratory tract infection. After the state ceremony in the Turkish Grand National Assembly and a religious ceremony at Kocatepe Mosque
The Kocatepe Mosque ( tr, Kocatepe Camii) is the largest mosque in Ankara, Turkey. It was built between 1967 and 1987 in the Kocatepe quarter in Kızılay, and its size and prominent situation have made it a landmark that can be seen from almost a ...
on 19 June 2015, Demirel's body was taken to a mausoleum in his hometown of Atabey, Isparta. In 2019, the Süleyman Demirel Mausoleum was completed and opened to visitors.
Legacy
Demirel achieved many firsts throughout his political career. He formed the most governments, was longest serving prime minister in Turkish political history following İsmet İnönü and Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, and was the youngest prime minister at the age of 41. He also broke the records for the youngest politician to become a party leader at the age of 40, and the youngest general manager appointed to a public institution at the age of 30.
He was also accused of deviating from the principles of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, which he denied.
The Süleyman Demirel Airport and Süleyman Demirel University, both of which are in Isparta are named after him. So are the Süleyman Demirel Stadium in Antalya
la, Attalensis grc, Ἀτταλειώτης
, postal_code_type = Postal code
, postal_code = 07xxx
, area_code = (+90) 242
, registration_plate = 07
, blank_name = Licence plate
...
, the Süleyman Demirel Medical Centre of the Atatürk University in Erzurum and Suleyman Demirel University in Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan, officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a transcontinental country located mainly in Central Asia and partly in Eastern Europe. It borders Russia to the north and west, China to the east, Kyrgyzstan to the southeast, Uzbeki ...
. There are also two important main streets named after him: one in Istanbul and the other in Muğla
Muğla () is a city in southwestern Turkey. The city is the center of the District of Menteşe and Muğla Province, which stretches along Turkey's Aegean coast. Muğla's center is situated inland at an altitude of 660 m and lies at a dista ...
. In 2014 Süleyman Demirel Democracy and Development Museum was opened in Isparta.
In popular culture
Süleyman Demirel was often nicknamed ''Baba'' (''The Father'') or ''Çoban Sülü'' (''Sülü the Shepherd'') and humorously ''Spartacus'', after his native city of Isparta. His fedora hat was a famous part of his image.
With the song "Demirbaş" in the album Yadigâr (1995), Fikret Kızılok
Fikret Kızılok (November 10, 1946 – September 22, 2001) was a Turkish rock musician. He was a pioneer of Anatolian rock, a prolific songwriter, impresario, multi-instrumentalist, and an early experimentalist. Due to a heart disease, he died ...
humorously described Demirel's inability to stay away from the political scene. "Süleyman", one of the hit songs of Barış Manço
Mehmet Barış Manço (born Tosun Yusuf Mehmet Barış Manço; 2 January 1943 – 1 February 1999), better known by his stage name Barış Manço, was a Turkish rock musician, singer, composer, actor, television producer and show host. Beg ...
's 1992 album " Mega Manço", was another satire of Demirel. He was portrayed by Haldun Boysan
Haldun Boysan (6 July 1958 – 31 August 2020) was a Turkish actor. One of his most notable works was in ''Valley of the Wolves'' as Tombalacı Mehmet.
Death
Boysan died of heart attack on 31 August 2020 in his hotel room in Ürgüp district ...
in the 2007 movie "Zincirbozan Zincirbozan is a location in Çanakkale Province, Turkey, notable because of its fame as the compulsory residence of politicians in 1983.
Zincirbozan is situated in Çardak belde of Lapseki ilçe (district) facing the Sea of Marmara. Formerly there ...
". There are also references to Demirel in Cem Karaca
Muhtar Cem Karaca (5 April 1945 – 8 February 2004) was a prominent Turkish rock musician and one of the most important figures in the Anatolian rock movement. He was a graduate of Robert College. He worked with various Turkish rock bands such ...
's "Raptiye". Süleyman Demirel also appeared as a guest actor in the film "The President in the Other Turkey". Nejmi Aykar portrayed Demirel in the TV series '' Once Upon a Time in Cyprus'', which was broadcast on TRT 1.
Although Demirel had retired, whenever there was political distress, Turkish media or his followers (humorously or otherwise) called on him with the words "Kurtar bizi baba" ("Father, save us"). He is well known for uttering phrases such as "Dün dündür, bugün bugündür" ("Yesterday is yesterday, today is today"), usually said when he has changed his stand on a subject. Another example is "Benzin vardı da biz mi içtik?" ("Did we drink the gasoline, as if there were any?"), said when defending his actions during the 1970s energy crisis. When the question of criminalizing sex work came to question by the increased popularity of conservative movements, he responded "Genelevleri kapatalım da millet bizi mi siksin?" ("Should we close the brothels so people can fuck us?").
Awards
* Poland
Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populou ...
: Order of the White Eagle, 28 October 1993
* Croatia
, image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg
, image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg
, anthem = " Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland")
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, capi ...
: Grand Order of King Tomislav
The Grand Order of King Tomislav ( hr, Velered kralja Tomislava), or officially the Grand Order of King Tomislav with Sash and Great Morning Star (''Velered kralja Tomislava s lentom i Velikom Danicom''), is the highest state order of Croatia. It ...
, 7 July 1994
* Kyrgyzstan
Kyrgyzstan,, pronounced or the Kyrgyz Republic, is a landlocked country in Central Asia. Kyrgyzstan is bordered by Kazakhstan to the north, Uzbekistan to the west, Tajikistan to the south, and the People's Republic of China to the ea ...
: Order of Manas, 13 November 1998
* Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan (, ; az, Azərbaycan ), officially the Republic of Azerbaijan, , also sometimes officially called the Azerbaijan Republic is a transcontinental country located at the boundary of Eastern Europe and Western Asia. It is a part of th ...
: Istiglal Order, 12 June 1999
* Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...
: Order of Merit of the Italian Republic
The Order of Merit of the Italian Republic ( it, Ordine al Merito della Repubblica Italiana) is the senior Italian order of merit. It was established in 1951 by the second President of the Italian Republic, Luigi Einaudi.
The highest-rankin ...
, 7 October 1996
* Estonia
Estonia, formally the Republic of Estonia, is a country by the Baltic Sea in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland across from Finland, to the west by the sea across from Sweden, to the south by Latvia, an ...
: Order of the Cross of Terra Mariana
The Order of the Cross of Terra Mariana ( et, Maarjamaa Risti teenetemärk, sometimes translated as the Order of the Cross of St. Mary's Land) was instituted by the President of Estonia, Lennart Meri, on 16 May 1995 to honour the independence of t ...
, 1997
* Romania
Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern, and Southeast Europe, Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, S ...
: Order of the Star of Romania
The Order of the Star of Romania (Romanian: ''Ordinul Steaua României'') is Romania's highest civil Order and second highest State decoration after the defunct Order of Michael the Brave. It is awarded by the President of Romania. It has five r ...
, 1999
* Georgia : Order of the Golden Fleece, 1999
* Bulgaria
Bulgaria (; bg, България, Bǎlgariya), officially the Republic of Bulgaria,, ) is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern flank of the Balkans, and is bordered by Romania to the north, Serbia and North Macedo ...
: Order of Stara Planina, 16 March 1999
* Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwee ...
: Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany
The Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany (german: Verdienstorden der Bundesrepublik Deutschland, or , BVO) is the only federal decoration of Germany. It is awarded for special achievements in political, economic, cultural, intellect ...
, 6 April 2000
* Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan, officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a transcontinental country located mainly in Central Asia and partly in Eastern Europe. It borders Russia to the north and west, China to the east, Kyrgyzstan to the southeast, Uzbeki ...
: Order of the Leopard, 27 August 2001
* Moldova
Moldova ( , ; ), officially the Republic of Moldova ( ro, Republica Moldova), is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by Romania to the west and Ukraine to the north, east, and south. The unrecognised state of Transnistri ...
: Order of the Republic, 1 November 2004
* Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan (, ; az, Azərbaycan ), officially the Republic of Azerbaijan, , also sometimes officially called the Azerbaijan Republic is a transcontinental country located at the boundary of Eastern Europe and Western Asia. It is a part of th ...
: Sharaf Order, 1 November 2013
See also
* Conservatism in Turkey
Conservatism in Turkey ( Turkish: ''Muhafazakârlık'') is a national variant of conservatism throughout Turkey reflected in the agendas of many of the country's political parties, most notably the governing Justice and Development Party (AKP), w ...
References
External links
Official Website of the Presidents of the Republic of Turkey
{{DEFAULTSORT:Demirel, Suleyman
1924 births
2015 deaths
20th-century prime ministers of Turkey
20th-century presidents of Turkey
People from Atabey
Conservatism in Turkey
Justice Party (Turkey) politicians
Istanbul Technical University alumni
Leaders of political parties in Turkey
Prime Ministers of Turkey
Deputy Prime Ministers of Turkey
Leaders ousted by a coup
Presidents of Turkey
Deputies of Isparta
Süleyman Demirel University
Turkish civil engineers
Democrat Party (Turkey, current) politicians
People from Isparta
Respiratory disease deaths in Turkey
Infectious disease deaths in Turkey
Deaths from respiratory tract infection
Recipients of the Collar of the Order of the Cross of Terra Mariana
Recipients of the Order of the Star of Romania
Recipients of the Order of the Republic (Moldova)
Recipients of the Istiglal Order
Leaders of the Opposition (Turkey)
Members of the 29th government of Turkey
Members of the 30th government of Turkey
Members of the 31st government of Turkey
Members of the 32nd government of Turkey
Members of the 39th government of Turkey
Members of the 41st government of Turkey
Members of the 43rd government of Turkey
Members of the 49th government of Turkey
Grand Crosses Special Class of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany
Centre-right politics in Turkey
Recipients of the Order of the White Eagle (Poland)
20th-century Turkish engineers
Turkish political party founders