Abdullah Gül

Biographical Overview & Key Facts

Subject:

Abdullah Gül

Role / Field:

Turkish politician who served as President (2007-2014) and Prime Minister.

Born:

1950-10-29

Century / Era:

1950s Historical Era

Database Source:

2Day Chrono-Wiki & Wikipedia CC BY-SA 4.0

Origins & Early Life

Abdullah Gül (born 29 October 1950) is a Turkish politician who served as the president of Turkey from 2007 to 2014. He previously served for four months as Prime Minister from 2002 to 2003, and concurrently served as both Deputy Prime Minister and as Foreign Minister between 2003 and 2007. He is currently a member of the Advisory Panel for the President of the Islamic Development Bank. Advocating staunch Islamist political views during his university years, Gül became a Member of Parliament for Kayseri in 1991 and was re-elected in 1995, 1999, 2002, and 2007. Initially a member of the Islamist Welfare Party, Gül joined the Virtue Party in 1998 after the former was banned for anti-secular activities.

Career & Major Achievements

When the party split into hardline Islamist and modernist factions in 2000, Gül joined fellow party member Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in advocating the need for reform and moderation. He ran against serving leader Recai Kutan for the Virtue Party leadership at a time when Erdoğan was banned from holding political office. As the candidate for the modernist camp, he came second with 521 votes while Kutan won 633. He co-founded the moderate Justice and Development Party (AKP) with Erdoğan in 2001 after the Virtue Party was shut down in the same year, while hardline conservative members founded the Felicity Party instead. Gül became prime minister after the AKP won a landslide victory in the 2002 general election while Erdoğan was still banned from office.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

His government removed Erdoğan's political ban by March 2003, after which Erdoğan became an MP for Siirt in a by-election and took over as prime minister. Gül subsequently served as Minister of Foreign Affairs and Deputy Prime Minister until 2007. His subsequent bid for the Presidency drew strong and highly vocal opposition from ardent supporters of secularism in Turkey and was initially blocked by the Constitutional Court due to concerns over his Islamist political background. He was eventually elected Turkey's first president with a background in Islamic politics after the 2007 snap general election. As president, Gül came under criticism for giving assent to controversial laws which have been regarded by the political opposition as unconstitutional.

Chronological Milestones & Life Events

1. 1950 (1950-10-29): Birth of Abdullah Gül — Turkish politician who served as President (2007-2014) and Prime Minister.
2. 1991: 1991 Milestone — Advocating staunch Islamist political views during his university years, Gül became a Member of Parliament for Kayseri in 1991 and was re-elected in 1995, 1999, 2002, and 2007.
3. 1998: 1998 Milestone — Initially a member of the Islamist Welfare Party, Gül joined the Virtue Party in 1998 after the former was banned for anti-secular activities.
4. 2000: 2000 Milestone — When the party split into hardline Islamist and modernist factions in 2000, Gül joined fellow party member Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in advocating the need for reform and moderation.
5. 2001: 2001 Milestone — He co-founded the moderate Justice and Development Party (AKP) with Erdoğan in 2001 after the Virtue Party was shut down in the same year, while hardline conservative members founded the Felicity Party instead.
6. 2002: 2002 Milestone — He previously served for four months as Prime Minister from 2002 to 2003, and concurrently served as both Deputy Prime Minister and as Foreign Minister between 2003 and 2007.
7. 2003: 2003 Milestone — His government removed Erdoğan's political ban by March 2003, after which Erdoğan became an MP for Siirt in a by-election and took over as prime minister.
8. 2007: 2007 Milestone — Gül subsequently served as Minister of Foreign Affairs and Deputy Prime Minister until 2007.

Notable Quotes by Abdullah Gül

“We believe that modernization and being Muslim complement each other. We accept the modern values of liberalism, human rights, and market economy.” (2002)

Historical Fact-Check Quiz: Abdullah Gül

True or False: “Abdullah Gül's initial political statements regarding Turkey’s system suggested that the secular period was definitively over.”

Answer (TRUE ⭕): He made controversial statements such as "This is the end of the republican period" during his early parliamentary years.

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

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Frequently Asked Questions about Abdullah Gül