Deniz Baykal
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Deniz Baykal
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 Deniz Baykal at İskilip, 18 May 2008. |
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| In office 31 October 1995 – 6 March 1996 |
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| Preceded by | Ali Coşkun Kırca |
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| Succeeded by | Emre Gönensay |
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| Born | July 20, 1938 Antalya, Turkey |
| Political party | Republican People's Party |
| Religion | Islam |
Deniz Baykal (born 20 July 1938 in Antalya, Turkey) is a Turkish politician and long-time leader of the Republican People's Party (CHP). At the moment, he is the main opposition leader of the Turkish parliament.
[edit] Biography
Baykal was born to Hüseyin Hilmi who was a Caucasian muhajir and Feride whose family came from Egypt (claimed to be of Cretan descent).[1] He was educated at the University of Ankara's Faculty of Law. He later studied at the University of California, Berkeley and Columbia University, New York in the U.S. as a research fellow, and finished his PhD by 1963 in Ankara. He became an Associate Professor in the University of Ankara's Faculty of Science, where he lectured extensively.
He quit his career as an academic in 1973, when he was elected as a member of the Turkish parliament from the Republican People's Party. He served as the Minister of Finance, Energy and Foreign Affairs in various times throughout his career, as well as Deputy Prime Minister.
He became the Republican People's Party's General Secrerary in 1988, and in 1992, he was elected as the leader of the party, a post he still holds. Today, his social democratic and secular Republican People's Party is the second biggest of the country and is the major opposition party in the parliament.
Baykal was the vice-president of the Socialist International between 2003-2008.
Baykal and his party played a major role in preventing the US military using Turkey to invade Iraq. Baykal remains a staunch supporter of a militaristic response to Kurdish nationalism in Turkey's southeast. With time, he moved his politics and his party further to the right. His party members on regular basis makes anti-minority statements. [2] Baykal promised to swim from the Turkish coast to Rhodes if his party lost the election in July 2007, but has yet to fulfill this promise.
Baykal is a vocal opponent of the Justice and Development Party and the Ergenekon investigation.[3]
[edit] References
- ^ SecimMeydani.com - Biographies : Deniz Baykal
- ^ The Journal of Turkish Weekly - CHP's Baykal: We Prevented Deployment of U.S. Troops on Turkish Territories
- ^ "Baykal dün ne demişti bugün ne diyor? Hangi Baykal doğru söylüyor?" (in Turkish). Zaman. 2009-01-09. http://www.zaman.com.tr/haber.do?haberno=801433&title=baykal-dun-ne-demisti-bugun-ne-diyor-hangi-baykal-dogru-soyluyor. Retrieved on 2009-01-09.
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Hikmet Çetin |
Deputy Prime Minister of Turkey Oct 30, 1995–Mar 6, 1996 |
Succeeded by Nahit Menteşe |
| Preceded by Ali Coşkun Kırca |
Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkey Oct 31, 1995–Mar 6, 1996 |
Succeeded by Emre Gönensay |
| Party political offices | ||
| Preceded by 1980 Military coup |
Leader of the Republican Peoples Party Sep 9, 1992–Feb 18, 1995 |
Succeeded by Hikmet Çetin |
| Preceded by Hikmet Çetin |
Leader of the Republican Peoples Party Sep 9, 1995–Apr 22, 1999 |
Succeeded by Altan Öymen |
| Preceded by Altan Öymen |
Leader of the Republican Peoples Party Sep 30, 2000–present |
Succeeded by incumbent |
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