Abdullah Gül

Infobox President
name = Abdullah Gül


caption = Abdullah Gül (2005)
office = President of Turkey
term_start = 28 August 2007
term_end =
primeminister = Recep Tayyip Erdoğan
predecessor = Ahmet Necdet Sezer
office2 = Prime Minister of Turkey
president2 = Ahmet Necdet Sezer
term_start2 = 18 November 2002
term_end2 = 14 March 2003
predecessor2 = Bülent Ecevit
successor2 = Recep Tayyip Erdoğan
office3 = Minister of Foreign Affairs
term_start3 = 14 March 2003
term_end3 = 28 August 2007
primeminister3 = Recep Tayyip Erdoğan
predecessor3 = Yaşar Yakış
successor3 = Ali Babacan
birth_date = birth date and age|1950|10|29|df=y
birth_place = Kayseri, Turkey
spouse = Hayrünnisa Gül
alma_mater = Istanbul University
religion = Islam
party = AKP

Abdullah Gül PhD, GCB [http://www.cnnturk.com/DUNYA/haber_detay.asp?PID=319&haberID=458812 Karşılama "daha ağırbaşlı" bulundu] , "CNN Türk", 18 May, 2008 tr icon] , (born October 29, 1950) is the 11th President of the Republic of Turkey, serving in that office since 28 August 2007. He previously served for five months as Prime Minister (2002-2003), and as Foreign Minister from 2003 to 2007.

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's selection of Gül as a presidential candidate drew strong and highly vocal opposition from ardent supporters of secularism in Turkey. In May 2007, Gül's first bid for presidency was blocked by the Constitutional Court in a climate of secularist concern regarding views Gül had expressed during his Welfare Party years, and the fact that his wife, Hayrünnisa Gül, wears a headscarf, seen by some as a symbol of political Islam. [cite news
work = CNN Türk
language=Turkish
title = Gül'ün adaylığını doğru bulmuyoruz
url = http://www.cnnturk.com/TURKIYE/haber_detay.asp?PID=318&haberID=384226
accessdate = 2007-08-29] However, following the parliamentary elections in July the same year, which were won by the AKP with 46.6% of the popular vote, he was eventually elected President on August 28, 2007 and was sworn in the same day. In September 2008 he became the first Turkish leader to visit neighbouring Armenia, sparking a major debate in Turkey. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7602066.stm Turkish leader flies to Armenia] ]

Early life

President Gül was born in Kayseri. He was brought up in a conservative family environment by his father Ahmet Hamdi, a mechanic, and his mother Adviye. His family has lived in Güllük Camii in Kayseri for about one hundred years. [cite news
last = Kurt
first = Süleyman
work = Zaman
title = 'Cumhur' İkinci Kez Köşk Yolunda
language = Turkish
url = http://www.zaman.com.tr/webapp-tr/haber.do?haberno=575942
accessdate = 2007-08-29] His great-grandfather was an Arab who immigrated from Siirt to Develi around 1915. [ [http://www.hurriyet.com.tr/gundem/6392331.asp?gid=180 Abdullah Gül Biography] , April 26 2007, "Hürriyet" tr icon] Gül was also called with the name Cumhur by his family. [ [http://www.radikal.com.tr/haber.php?haberno=219426 Doğum Günü 29 Ekim] , "Radikal", April 25 2007 tr icon]

Education

Gül studied economics at the Istanbul University and wrote his dissertation there. During his graduate education, he studied for two years in London and Exeter. He pursued an academic career after that and worked at the higher education facilities in Adapazarı, collaborating in the establishment of a department for industrial engineering and teaching management courses of ITU Sakarya Engineering Faculty, which was turned into Sakarya University in 1992. He received a Ph.D. degree from the Istanbul University in 1983. Between 1983 and 1991, he worked at the Islamic Development Bank (IDB). In 1991, Gül became a lecturer in international management.

First steps in politics

Gül became acquainted with right-wing politics early during his high school years. During his university education, he became a member of Islamist-nationalist "Millî Türk Talebe Birliği" (National Turkish Students' Union) in the line of Necip Fazıl's "Büyük Doğu" (Grand Orient) current. [cite news
work = World Bulletin
language=Turkish
title = Abdullah Gul's Unknown Sides/Exclusive
url = http://www.worldbulletin.net/news_detail.php?id=8888
accessdate = 2007-08-31]

He was elected a member of the Turkish parliament for Refah Partisi (RP, "the Welfare Party") from Kayseri Province in 1991 and 1995. During these years, he made statements about the political system of Turkey that was designed by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk and the Turkish National Movement. These statements caused controversy when his candidacy for the 2007 presidential election was announced by Prime Minister Tayyip Erdoğan. [cite news
work = Deutsche Welle
language=Turkish
title = Abdullah Gül: The Man Who Would be Turkey's President
url = http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,2144,2745136,00.html
accessdate = 2007-08-28]

In 1999, he kept his seat as a member of Fazilet Partisi (FP, "the Virtue Party") which was afterwards closed by Constitutional Court for its violation of Constitution, successor to Refah Partisi which was also closed by Constitutional Court for its violation of Constitution, especially the principle of secularism. He was among the founders of Adalet ve Kalkınma Partisi (Justice and Development Party). He was elected once again to represent Kayseri in 2002.

AKP career

Prime Minister

After the Justice and Development Party (AKP) won the most votes in the November 2002 general election, Gül was appointed Prime Minister, as AK Party leader Recep Tayyip Erdoğan was unable to assume the role due to a ban on his participation in politics. After Gül's government secured legislation allowing Erdoğan's return to politics, the latter took over as Prime Minister on 14 March 2003. Gül was appointed deputy prime minister and foreign minister.

Foreign Minister

After becoming foreign minister in March 2003, Gül became the key player in Turkey's attempts to receive an accession date for the European Union and in its attempts to improve relations with Syria and maintaining its relationship with the Turkic-speaking countries of Central Asia and the Caucasus. On February 6, 2007, Gül flew to the United States to meet with U.S. President George W. Bush and U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.

Presidential candidacy

Prime Minister Erdoğan announced on April 24, 2007 that Gül would be the Justice and Development Party candidate in the 2007 presidential election. Previously, there had been speculation that Erdoğan himself would be the party's candidate, which had provoked substantial opposition from secularists. [ [http://english.people.com.cn/200704/24/eng20070424_369332.html "Turkey's ruling party announces FM Gül as presidential candidate"] , Xinhua ("People's Daily Online"), April 24, 2007.] [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6587061.stm "Turkey 'must have secular leader'"] , "BBC News", April 24, 2007.] When a boycott of opposition parties in Parliament deadlocked the election process, Gül formally withdrew his candidacy on May 6, 2007.

But a few days later, on May 11 when he inquired after the alterations to the Turkish constitution which now allowed the people to elect the president directly rather than a parliamentary vote, Gül announced that he was still intending to run. [cite news|work=Hurriyet|url=http://www.hurriyet.com.tr/gundem/6497246.asp?gid=180|title=Gül: Adaylığımız devam ediyor|language=Turkish|accessdate=2007-05-11] cite news|url=http://hurarsiv.hurriyet.com.tr/goster/haber.aspx?id=6466839&tarih=2007-05-06|title=Gül adaylıktan çekildi|language=Turkish|work=Hurriyet|accessdate=2007-05-11]

Following the July 2007 parliamentary election, the AKP renominated Gül as its presidential candidate on August 13; the election was again held as a vote of parliament. [ [http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2007-08/14/content_6526529.htm "Turkey's ruling party renominates Gül as presidential candidate"] , Xinhua ("People's Daily Online"), August 13, 2007.] On August 14, Gül submitted his candidacy application to parliament and expressed his commitment to secularism at a news conference. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6946269.stm Turkey's Gul vows secular agenda] , "BBC News", August 14, 2007.]

On August 28, 2007, he was elected president in the third round of voting; in the first two rounds, a two-thirds majority of MPs had been required, but in the third round he needed only a simple majority. Gül was sworn in immediately thereafter. [ [http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/08/28/europe/EU-GEN-Turkey-Presidency.php "Turkish foreign minister wins presidency, in victory for Islamic-rooted government"] , Associated Press ("International Herald Tribune"), August 28, 2007.] The process was a very low-key affair. [cite news
work = Turkish Daily News
title = Generals Protest Against Gül's Presidency
url = http://www.turkishdailynews.com.tr/article.php?enewsid=82088
accessdate = 2007-08-30] Gül's swearing-in was not attended by the Chief of the Turkish General Staff and was boycotted by the opposition Republican People's Party; then the hand-over of power at the presidential palace was held behind closed doors. Gül's wife Hayrünnisa, whose wearing of a red headscarf is a factor in the opposition to Gül's presidency, was not present. This approach continued; the traditional evening reception hosted by the new president at the presidential palace for the countries highest authorities was announced for 11:30 in the morning and wives were not invited. [cite news|url=http://www.radikal.com.tr/haber.php?haberno=231647
accessdate=2008-09-10
title=Köşk'e ilk davet eşsiz
work=Radikal
section=Politika
date=2007-09-01
language=Turkish
first=Hilal
last=Koylu]

Gül received messages of congratulation from the US, EU and German authorities while Turkish prime minister Tayyip Erdoğan made a statement saying "a structure doomed to uncertainty has been overcome" (an oblique reference to the deep state theory that Turkey is ruled behind-closed-doors by a secret conspiracy of soldiers and bureaucrats). [cite news
language=Turkish
title = Türkiye'nin 11. Cumhurbaşkanı Abdullah Gül
url = http://www.radikal.com.tr/index.php?tarih=29/08/2007
work = Radikal
accessdate = 2007-08-31]

Personal life

On August 20 1980, Abdullah Gül married Hayrünnisa Özyurt, whose family originates also from Kayseri (born 1965), when she was 15 years old. [cite news
last = Dündar
first = Can
language=Turkish
title = Bir Evlilik Yıldönümü
work = Haber Biz
url = http://www.haberbiz.com/?sec=haberdetay&haberID=11351
accessdate = 2007-08-29] The couple has three children, two sons named Mehmet Emre and Ahmet Münir and a daughter named Kübra.

He is a dedicated fan of the football club Beşiktaş J.K..tr icon [http://www.haber3.com/haber.php?haber_id=231385 "Köşk'e üçüncü beşiktaşlı"] , "Haber3", April 24, 2007.]

Decorations

* United Kingdom - Honorary Knight Grand Cross of the Civil Division of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath (14 May 2008)
* Saudi Arabia - Order of King Abdulaziz (2007)

References

ee also

* Çankaya Köşkü The Presidency of the Republic of Turkey

External links

* [http://www.cankaya.gov.tr Official Website of Turkish Presidency]
* [http://www.abdullahgul.gen.tr/EN/main.asp Official Website of Abdullah Gul]
* [http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/g/abdullah_gul/index.html News about Abdullah Gül at the "New York Times"]

Persondata
NAME= Gül, Abdullah
ALTERNATIVE NAMES=
SHORT DESCRIPTION= 11th President of the Republic of Turkey
DATE OF BIRTH= October 29, 1950
PLACE OF BIRTH= Kayseri, Turkey
DATE OF DEATH=
PLACE OF DEATH=