Former Turkish President Suleyman Demirel Dies

Former Turkish president and prime minister, Suleyman Demirel, died on Wednesday at age 90 in a hospital in Aknary. According to the Anatolia news agency, the cause of death of the former leader was heart failure.

Over the past year, Demirel was taken to hospital twice, and last month he was said to be in a critical condition. His condition rapidly deteriorated on Tuesday evening, June 16. He died at 2:05am on Wednesday at Ankara’s Guven Hospital.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu expressed their condolences to Demirel’s family and to the people of Turkey. The Turkish Prime Minister said that, due to the death of the former prime minister and president, there will be three days of national mourning in the republic.

“Suleyman Demirel, who left a deep mark in the political history of Turkey and contributed to the development of our country, is one of the most significant figures in our political history,” said Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the current President of Turkey.

Suleyman Demirel was born on November 1, 1924. He was a founding member of the Justice Party in Turkey. He was a prime minister several times in the 1960s and 1970s before serving as president from 1993 to 2000. Demirel was also responsible for the development and implementation of several economic reforms that have put Turkey on the path of industrialisation.

Suleyman Demirel’s funeral will be held in Ankara on June 19.