Former Turkish premier passes away at age 86

By Mehmet Tosun

ANKARA (AA) – Turkey’s Yildirim Akbulut, who served as both prime minister and parliament speaker, passed away on Wednesday in Ankara, the Turkish capital. He was 86.

A parliamentarian for nearly two decades – from 1983 to 2002 – Akbulut had been receiving treatment at Ankara University Hospital.

Akbulut was born in the eastern province of Erzincan on Nov. 15, 1935. He graduated from Istanbul University's Law School and worked as a lawyer before entering politics.

One of the founders of the Anavatan (Motherland) Party, in 1983, Akbulut became a member of parliament representing Erzincan.

He served as Turkey’s interior minister from 1984 to 1987, under Prime Minister Turgut Ozal.

Re-elected to parliament in the 1987 general elections, Akbulut became parliament speaker and held the post until 1989.

In 1989, Akbulut formed a government as prime minister, and continued his political life as chairman of the Anavatan Party.

In 1999, he was again elected parliament speaker, a post he held until 2000.

After leaving Anavatan to join the True Path Party (DYP), he ran for a parliamentary seat representing Istanbul. After his party failed to pass the electoral threshold, he left parliament in 2002.

Akbulut was married to Samia Akbulut, a former member of the Constitutional Court, and they had three daughters.