Ahmet Necdet Sezer
Ahmet Necdet Sezer | |
---|---|
10th President of Turkey | |
In office 16 May 2000 – 28 August 2007 | |
Prime Minister | |
Preceded by | Süleyman Demirel |
Succeeded by | Abdullah Gül |
President of the Constitutional Court | |
In office 6 January 1998 – 4 May 2000[1] | |
Preceded by | Yekta Güngör Özden |
Succeeded by | Mustafa Bumin |
Personal details | |
Born | Afyonkarahisar, Turkey | 13 September 1942
Political party | Independent |
Spouse | Semra Kürümoğlu |
Children | 3 |
Alma mater | Ankara University, Law School |
Profession | Judge |
Signature | |
Ahmet Necdet Sezer (Turkish pronunciation:
Following his legal career, Sezer became a candidate for the presidency with the joint support of many political parties in Parliament. Following the 2000 presidential election, he took an ardent secularist approach on issues such as the headscarf, holding the view that secularism in Turkey was under threat. A quarrel between Sezer and Prime Minister Bülent Ecevit in 2001 led to a financial meltdown, attributed to the weakness of the coalition government as well as to the large debt owed to the International Monetary Fund.
The landslide victory of the conservative Islamist Justice and Development Party (AKP) in the 2002 general election led to strong opposition from President Sezer, who vetoed several proposed laws and referred others to the Constitutional Court. These included laws on banking reform and the lifting of the political ban on Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. During receptions at the presidential palace, Sezer refused to allow women wearing the headscarf to attend citing the laws on the separation of religion and state at the time; this resulted in the wives of Abdullah Gül and Erdoğan, Hayrünnisa Gül and Emine Erdoğan respectively, being barred from attendance. Erdoğan later said in public that he had 'suffered a lot' from Sezer.[3]
Early life
Sezer was born in
After finishing Afyonkarahisar High School in 1960, he graduated from the
Judical career and appointment as chief justice
On 8 March 1983, Sezer was elected as a member of the
On 6 January 1998, Ahmet Necdet Sezer was elected as chief justice of the Constitutional Court and served until his resignation in 2000, when he was elected as president.
Presidency (2000–2007)
He was elected president and sworn in on 16 May 2000, becoming Turkey's first head of state to come from a judicial background. His term was due to expire on 16 May 2007, but because the Grand National Assembly of Turkey had failed to elect a new president, he retained the office pro tempore until 28 August 2007 (the Constitution of Turkey states that a president's term of office is extended until a successor is elected).
On 21 February 2001, during a quarrel in a National Security Council meeting, he threw the constitutional code book at Prime Minister Bülent Ecevit. Some cite this falling-out as the main reason for what became known as 'Black Wednesday', a huge economic crisis. Others claimed that the rapid reforms called for by the accession negotiations with the European Union and Turkey's strong ties with the International Monetary Fund caused the crisis.[6]
Sezer was a firm defender of
During his presidency, he pardoned 260 convicted felons, 202 of whom were captured leftist militants.[9][10][11] (This type of pardon can be requested directly by the felon or the legal representative of the felon, but no political or court referral is necessary.) Some organisations have cited such pardons to criticise Sezer's presidency. On the other hand, Sezer also enacted harsher laws to punish people connected with terrorism.[12]
Post-presidency
This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (March 2023) |
During the 2014 presidential election, won by Erdoğan, Sezer openly refused to vote, citing the lack of a secularist candidate as his reason.[13]
Sezer endorsed Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu's candidacy in the 2023 presidential election.
Awards and orders
Ribbon | Award and order | Country | Date | City | Note | Source |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Order of the Cross of Terra Mariana | Estonia | 18 April 2002 | Tallinn | The Terra Mariana Engagement is one of the highest marks given by the Estonian President. | [14] |
References
- ^ "Ahmet Necdet SEZER | Anayasa Mahkemesi".
- ^ "Presidency of the Republic of Turkey : Ahmet Necdet SEZER".
- ^ TE Bilisim - Abdullah Tekin. "Başbakan: Ahmet Necdet Sezer'den çok çektim". haberpopuler.com. Retrieved 24 May 2016.
- ^ "Çalışkan, dürüst ama biraz sert mizaçlı". 26 April 2000. Retrieved 24 May 2016.
- ^ "Sezer ailesi şiirlere konu olan Serez'den". 6 May 2000.
- ^ "IMF Stopped Central Bank From Giving Liquidity in 2001, said Erçel". Referans. Archived from the original on September 29, 2007. Retrieved 2007-08-30.
- ^ "Turk President Says Secular System in Danger". The Scotsman. Scotsman News. Retrieved 2007-08-30. [dead link]
- ^ "Turkey's Turmoil". Economist. May 1, 2007. Retrieved 2007-08-30.
- ^ "List of Sezer Amnesty Recipients Terror-Based". Dialoghaber. Archived from the original on November 9, 2007. Retrieved 2007-09-04.
- ^ "Group Profile, DHKP/C". MIPT Terrorism Knowledge Base. Archived from the original on 2007-09-04. Retrieved 2007-09-04.
- ^ "U.S. Warns of Rising Terror Threat to Westerners Throughout Turkey". World Tribune. Archived from the original on 2007-09-27. Retrieved 2007-09-04.
- ^ "Turkish President Signs Controversial Anti-terror Bill Subject to Court Review". Jurist, Legal News & Research. Archived from the original on 2006-09-19. Retrieved 2007-08-30.
- ^ "Sezer'den şok karar! Oy vermedi!". Haber7. Retrieved 24 May 2016.
- ^ "Sezer: 2002 sonuna kadar AB ile müzakere tarihi bekliyoruz". NTV.com.tr. 19 April 2002. Archived from the original on 21 April 2014. Retrieved 20 April 2014.
External links
- Former presidents: Ahmet Necdet Sezer, Presidency of the Republic of Turkey
- O'Toole, Pam (2000-05-06). "Profile: Ahmet Necdet Sezer". BBC News. Retrieved 2008-08-20.