Suleyman Demirel's Kevo

Suleyman Demirel, current President of Turkey, was born in the Isparta region of Turkey. As a young man, Demirel left his hometown to go study at the Istanbul Technical University, from which he graduated as a civil engineer in 1948. Afterward, Demirel was awarded an Eisenhower Exchange Fellowship to study while working as researcher for private American corporations, one of them being General Electric. It was this experience in the United States that gave Demirel an appreciation for Western technology and society, and convinced him the West was a vital ally for Turkey, a belief that is reflected in his foreign policy even to this day.

After working in the Turkish hydroelectric and energy industry for 10 years, Suleyman Demirel entered the world of politics when, in 1961, he joined the Justice Party; incredibly, he became the Party Chairman by 1964. When the Justice Party won the 1965 elections, Demirel was appointed Prime Minister of Turkey, a position he held until 1971 when the military forced him to resign. Throughout the 1970s, Demirel appeared in and out of Turkey’s political scene, depending on the mood of the military at the time, but by 1982 civilian rule was once again established.

However, due to a new constitution, Demirel did not resume his former post of Prime Minister until 1991. Two years later, the National Assembly elected Suleyman Demirel as President of Turkey. Since becoming president, Demirel has presided over a United Nations conference, survived an assassination attempt, made steps toward a amiable relationship with Israel, entered Turkey into the European Union customs union, and battled against domestic Islamic extremists to maintain Turkey’s stature as a secular society and a republic. Suleyman Demirel is the ninth person to hold the title of President of Turkey.
Climb to Fame
President of Turkey
Work History
(1949-1950) Researcher, US Bureau of Reclamation, Tennessee.

(1954-1955) Head of Dams Department.

(1955-1960) Director General, Hydraulic Works.

(1961) Joins the Justice Party.

(1962-1964) Private contractor and lecturer at Middle East Technical University.

(1964) Chairman, Justice Party.

(1965) Deputy Prime Minister of Turkey.

(1965-1971) Prime Minister of Turkey.

(1965-1980) Chairman, Alianza Popular, Popular Alliance Party, Isparta Deputy.

(1977-1978) Prime Minister of Turkey.

(1978-1980) Opposition Leader.

(1987-1993) Isparta Deputy, Chairman, Dogru Yol Partisi (True Path Party).

(1991-1993) Prime Minister of Turkey.

(1993-present) President of Turkey.

(1996) President of the United Nations Conference on Human Settlements.

(1997) An assassination attempt is made on President Demirel, most likely linked to a treaty between Turkey and Israel.

(8/17/1999) An earthquake hits northwest Turkey that claims approximately 15,000 lives and causes immense damage to the infrastructure. Turkey’s arch enemy Greece is the first nation to send aid. In an odd twist of fate, Greece’s capital Athens is hit by an earthquake three weeks later on September 9 and in turn Turkey is the first nation to send help leading to what some are calling “earthquake diplomacy”. Furthermore, Greece lifts all vetoes against Turkey entering the European Union, to which Demirel responds that Turkey, “… will not spare any sacrifice to help your country and the people in this disaster."
Affiliations
(1961) Justice Party.

(1987) True Path Party.
Awards
Suleyman Demirel has also won numerous Awards