Ex-president of Turkey, Süleyman Demirel, dies at age 91

Surviving two military interventions in 1971 and 1980, Demirel was a leading political figure whose rightist yet populist governments still hold a special place in hearts and minds of many Turks. Demirel was taken Güven Hospital in the capital city of Ankara last Wednesday due to a respiratory infection. The hospital said in a statement on Tuesday that the former president died at 2:09 Wednesday morning despite all efforts of doctors to save him. Demirel served as the president of Turkey between 1993 to 2000. He previously served as the prime minister five times between the years 1965 and 1993. He was the leader of the Justice Party (AP) from 1964 to 1980 and of the True Path Party (DYP) from 1987 to 1993. Kazinform has learnt from Today's Zaman . Demirel is publicly known by the nickname "Father," and for uttering pragmatist phrases such as "Yesterday is yesterday, today is today," when referring to his making of statements at different times that contradicted each other. In 1971, the Turkish military delivered a warning to the government to restore order after months of strikes and street fighting between leftists and nationalists. Some months later, then-Prime Minister Demirel stepped down and a coalition of conservative politicians and technocrats set to restore order under the supervision of the military. Martial law was established in several provinces and not completely lifted until September 1973. Nine years later, the military ousted the government of Demirel, leading to suspension of Parliament and civil liberties and the imprisonment, torture and deaths of many Turkish citizens. The senior command of the army led by General Kenan Evren, who also died last month, carried out the coup. The action followed a resurgence of street fighting between leftists and nationalists. Leading politicians were arrested, and Parliament, political parties, and trade unions were dissolved. A five-member National Security Council took control, suspending the Constitution and implementing a provisional Constitution that gave almost unlimited power to military commanders. After the sudden death of Turkey's revolutionary leader Turgut Özal, Demirel, who was leading the Democratic Path Party (DYP) in government, was elected as a president by the Parliament. In 1993, Demirel asked Tansu Çiller, though quite unwillingly, to form a new government, giving Muslim but secular Turkey its first woman prime minister. In 1996, Demirel approved Welfare Party leader Necmettin Erbakan as Turkey's first Islamist prime minister in a coalition with conservative Çiller. A year later, however, he played a key role as president, acting in step with the military to force the resignation of the government.