One of the interesting human stories of the Republic of Türkiye. He was a village boy. He studied in free public schools. He went to America and got an education. Then he became the prime minister and then the president of his country. Here is the story of Süleyman Demirel:
Süleyman Demirel's father, Hacı Yahya Demirel, who was born on November 1, 1924, in a small and rural place such as İslamköy in Atabey district of Isparta, is a veteran of the War of Independence and a highly respected person in his environment. Baba Demirel was also the headman of the village for a long time. It can be said that Demirel's interest in politics and administration stemmed from his participation in village meetings led by his father at a young age. Demirel's mother is a very religious and hardworking Anatolian woman. With the influence of his religious mother and grandmother, Demirel begins to read the Qur'an at a young age and memorizes the Qur'an. Knowing the Qur'an by heart will provide many benefits in his political life and Demirel will influence the voters in many of his Anatolian travels.
Having completed his primary education in İslamköy, a secondary school in Isparta, and high school in Afyon High School, Demirel passed the exams and entered the Civil Engineering Department of ITU, one of the most important universities in Turkey. Demirel, who showed incredible success in his classes at ITU, first formed his ties with the conservative segment (various congregations and sects) that would be of great use in politics in the future, at ITU.
Süleyman Sami Demirel (The meaning of his surname is: Iron (Demir-) hand. (-el) 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.
Demirel, who started working at the Electrical Works Survey Administration in 1949 when he graduated, was sent to the United States to improve himself and specialize in dams, irrigation, and electrification, as he was found talented in the same year. Demirel, who started to work as the Head of the Dams Department upon his return from America, went to America between 1954-1955 by receiving a scholarship from the Eisenhower Exchange Fellow Ship. When he returns home, he becomes the General Manager of State Hydraulic Works at the age of 31. At that time, Demirel became one of the people that Prime Minister Adnan Menderes trusted the most, and therefore quickly climbed the ladder of success.
Demirel, who served as the General Manager of State Hydraulic Works between 1955-1960, fulfilled his military service in the SPO between 1960-1961. As the General Manager of DSI, Demirel is frequently invited to the Council of Ministers meetings during the DP period, and his views on the country's water and electricity problem are sought. After a meeting, Adnan Menderes tells his minister friends: "Be careful with this child, he is the future Prime Minister."
Demirel worked as a freelance consultant-engineer between 1962 and 1964 and also gave lectures on Water Engineering at METU, one of the most important universities in Turkey. In those years, Demirel, who was the Turkey representative of Morrison Knudsen, the international engineering and contracting company of the USA, which prepared the first project of the Bosphorus Bridge (1954), dates from this period.
Demirel's entry into politics was when he was elected as a member of the General Administrative Board at the 1st Grand Congress of the AP in 1962 and was appointed as the Presidency of the Organization. On March 23, 1963, when Celal Bayar was released from Kayseri Prison, the AP Headquarters was stoned. Demirel, who was at the headquarters during this event, resigns and takes a break from politics.
Demirel, who was also offered the Istanbul Mayoral Candidacy in 1963, became the chairman of the AP, the center party of the Turkish right wing, on November 27, 1964.
Demirel, who first served as the Deputy Prime Minister in the coalition government that served between February and October 1965, brought the Justice Party to power with a high vote of 52.9% in the 1965 elections and became the Prime Minister at the age of 41. Demirel will often sit in this chair in the future.
Demirel will not lose his seat of power with 46.5% of the votes in the 1969 elections. However, an opposition movement that started against him in the party under the leadership of Sadettin Bilgiç in 1970 would force Demirel very hard and expel the rebel group from the party later on.
Demirel undoubtedly lived the most troubled days of his political life in the days after the September 12 Coup. After September 12, all political parties are closed and political bans are imposed on politicians for 5 and 10 years. However, Demirel played a role in the establishment of the Great Turkey Party, which was established as a continuation of the AP despite being politically banned. The National Security Council, which convened on May 31, 1983, under the chairmanship of then President Kenan Evren, decided to close the Great Turkey Party (BTP), of which Süleyman Demirel was behind the scenes.
Demirel returned to politics after the political bans remained in the 6 September 1987 referendum.
After the 20 October 1991 elections, the DYP-SHP coalition government is formed. It is thought that with the coalition of the two parties on the center-left, they can carry out democratization reforms under the leadership of two historical figures such as Demirel and İnönü.
Demirel was elected President on May 16, 1993, upon the death of President Turgut Özal.
The proposal to amend Article 101 of the Turkish Constitution, which envisages the extension of the presidential term for 3 more years towards the end of Demirel's term as president, was rejected at the General Assembly of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey on April 5, 2000. In the face of this situation, Demirel prefers to withdraw from the political scene after the end of his Presidency.
Süleyman Demirel passed away on 17 June 2015 due to kidney failure, heart failure, and acute respiratory tract infection. Demirel becomes the general manager at the age of 30, first the party chairman, and then the prime minister at the age of 40, serving as the prime minister for nearly 12 years. He is Turkey's youngest general manager, youngest prime minister, and the longest-serving prime minister after Tayyip Erdoğan and İsmet İnönü. He served as Isparta Deputy for 6 terms, was banned for 7 years, left the government 6 times, and formed a government 7 times. It is an undeniable fact that Süleyman Demirel is one of the most important actors in Turkish politics, with two military coups, countless coalitions, seven times as prime minister, and later as president.
Demirel's most distinctive feature is his pragmatism. In the years from 1964 to 1971, Prime Minister Süleyman Demirel and his moderate pragmatism were on the scene. The image of the modern technocrat that he used since the first day he entered politics continues in this period as well. He emphasizes that he will not become partisan in any matter while governing the country. Even in his anti-communist stance, which appears from time to time, he avoids partisanship.