Ahmet Ferruh Bozbeyli (21 January 1927 – 28 July 2019) was a Turkish politician who served as the speaker of Turkish parliament and the chairman of the Democratic party.

Early life

Born in Pazarcık of

Kahramanmaraş Province Kahramanmaraş Province () is a Provinces of Turkey, province and Metropolitan municipalities in Turkey, metropolitan municipality of Turkey. Its area is 14,520 km2, and its population is 1,177,436 (2022). Its provincial capital is the city o ...

on 21 January 1927. His father's name was Sıddık. His mother died during his birth. After his elementary education in his home town and secondary education in

Antakya Antakya (), Turkish form of Antioch, is a municipality and the capital Districts of Turkey, district of Hatay Province, Turkey. Its area is . Prior to the devastating 2023 Turkey–Syria earthquakes, 2023 earthquakes, its population was recorded ...

in 1947, he travelled to

Istanbul Istanbul is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, largest city in Turkey, constituting the country's economic, cultural, and historical heart. With Demographics of Istanbul, a population over , it is home to 18% of the Demographics ...

for university. He finished the law school of

Istanbul University Istanbul University, also known as University of Istanbul (), is a Public university, public research university located in Istanbul, Turkey. Founded by Mehmed II on May 30, 1453, a day after Fall of Constantinople, the conquest of Constantinop ...

in 1957 and he began serving as an attorney. During the Yassıada trials he was one of the attorneys who defended the former Democrat Party politicians.

Parliament speaker

In 1961, he became a member of the newly founded Justice Party (AP) and in the

elections An election is a formal group decision-making process whereby a population chooses an individual or multiple individuals to hold public office. Elections have been the usual mechanism by which modern representative democracy has operated ...

held on 15 December 1961 he was elected as an MP from

Istanbul Province Istanbul is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, largest city in Turkey, constituting the country's economic, cultural, and historical heart. With Demographics of Istanbul, a population over , it is home to 18% of the Demographics ...

. During his second term between 1965 and 1969 he was elected as the speaker of the Turkish parliament. He kept this position in his third term after 1969.

Democratic Party

In AP Bozbeyli was a part of a group known as the supporters of the pre-1960 Democrat Party politicians. They accused AP leadership of being uninterested in the political rights of the former politicians. In 1970 October Ferruh Bozbeyli resigned from his post in the parliament administration. One month later he also resigned with 40 other MPs (so-called 41s) from his party to form a new party. They founded Democratic Party (DP) on 18 December 1970 and Ferruh Bozbeyli became the chairman of the new party.

1973 and 1977

In the presidential elections of 1973 held in the parliament, he was the candidate of his party. But he couldn't get any support other than that of his own party and consequently he lost the election. In the

general elections A general election is an electoral process to choose most or all members of a governing body at the same time. They are distinct from by-elections, which fill individual seats that have become vacant between general elections. General elections ...

held on 14 October 1973 in which he was reelected as an MP from Istanbul Province, DP received 11.9% of votes and sent 45 representatives to the lower house of the parliament. (It was the third party in terms of the vote percentage and fourth party in terms of the number of representatives.) But after 1973 the party began losing support and in the

held on 5 June 1977 DP was severely defeated. Even Bozbeyli was unable to be elected. After this defeat Bozbeyli resigned from his post in the party and quit from politics on 18 December 1978.

Later life

In later years he served in the board of directors of Türkiye İş Bankası and between 1990 and 1992 he was the chairman of the board.Kahramanmaraş page
/ref> He wrote the following books: *''Türkiye'de Siyasal Partilerin Ekonomik ve Sosyal Görüşleri'' (1969, "Social and political programs of the political parties in Turkey") *''Demokratik Sağ'' (1976, "Democratic Right") *''Politika Sanatı'' (1980 "Art of Politics") * ''Yalnız Demokrat'' (2009, "Lonely Democrat", memoirs)

Death

Bozbeyli died at a hospital in Ankara on 28 July 2019 where he had been treated for kidney and lung diseases. He was interred at Turkish State Cemetery () in Ankara after a

state funeral A state funeral is a public funeral ceremony, observing the strict rules of protocol, held to honour people of national significance. State funerals usually include much pomp and ceremony as well as religious overtones and distinctive elements o ...

was held one day later.Eski TBMM Başkanı Ahmet Ferruh Bozbeyli toprağa verildi
/ref> Picture of his grave: 20240425 132245 Ahmet Ferruh Bozbeyli

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bozbeyli Ferruh People from Pazarcık 1927 births 2019 deaths Justice Party (Turkey) politicians Istanbul University Faculty of Law alumni Speakers of the Parliament of Turkey Burials at Turkish State Cemetery Deputy speakers of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey