Abdullah Gül

Abdullah Gül, /ɡuːl/ (Turkish pronunciation: [abduɫˈɫɑh ˈɟyl]; born 29 October 1949) is a Turkish politician who served as the 11th President of Turkey, in office 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 latter was banned for anti-secular activities. 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 on behalf of Erdoğan, who was banned from holding political office at the time. 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, since Erdoğan was still banned from office. His government had 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 Islamist President 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. In June 2013, he signed a bill restricting alcohol consumption into law despite initially indicating a possible veto, which was seen as a contributing factor to sparking the 2013–14 anti-government protests. Other controversies included a law tightening internet regulation in 2013, a law increasing political control over the judiciary in 2014 and a law giving the National Intelligence Organisation (MİT) controversial new powers also in 2014. Gül took a mediating approach during anti-government protests and government corruption scandals.

Gül was born in Kayseri, central Anatolia on the 26th anniversary of the proclamation of Turkish independence. His father is Ahmet Hamdi Gül, a retired air force mechanic, and his mother is Adviye Satoğlu.

Education

Gül studied economics at the Istanbul University. During his graduate education, he studied for two years in London and Exeter in the United Kingdom. Whilst in the UK he was on the Executive Committee of the Federation of Student Islamic Societies (FOSIS). He pursued an academic career after that and worked at the higher education facilities in Adapazarı, collaborating in the establishment of the Department for Industrial Engineering and teaching management courses at the ITU Sakarya Engineering Faculty, which later became the Sakarya University in 1992. He served at Faculty of Political Sciences at Sakarya University, then Faculty of Economic and Administrative Sciences, for a while. He received a PhD from the Istanbul University in 1983. He was conferred an honorary PhD degree from Amity University, NOIDA-India on 8 February 2009, and a LL.D from the University of Dhaka on 13 February 2010. Between 1983 and 1991, he worked at the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. In 1991, he became a lecturer in international management.

Entry into politics

Gül became acquainted with politics early during his high school years. During his university education, he became a member of the Islamist-nationalist Millî Türk Talebe Birliği (National Turkish Students' Union) in the line of Necip Fazıl's Büyük Doğu (Grand Orient) current.

He was elected a member of the Turkish parliament for the Refah Partisi (RP, "the Welfare Party") from the Kayseri electoral district in 1991 and 1995. During these years, he made statements about the political system of Turkey that was designed by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk and the Turkish National Movement, which included "This is the end of the republican period" and "The secular system has failed and we definitely want to change it". These statements caused controversy when his candidacy for the 2007 presidential election was announced by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

In 1999, he kept his seat as a member of the Fazilet Partisi (FP, "the Virtue Party") which was subsequently outlawed by the Constitutional Court for its violation of the Constitution. Its predecessor, the Refah Partisi, was also outlawed by the Constitutional Court for its violation of the Constitution, especially the principle of secularism. By this time, Gül had apparently moderated his views and was reportedly considered to be part of the Virtue Party's reformist faction. He was a co-founder of the Adalet ve Kalkınma Partisi (Justice and Development Party), a party which billed itself as a moderate conservative party in the European tradition. He was elected once again to represent Kayseri in 2002.

An interview he gave in 2002 summarizes his criticisms of the Refah Partisi under the leadership of Necmettin Erbakan and his portrayal of the AKP as a moderate party:

In the Welfare Party, there were groups demanding sharia rule. Welfare did not represent the local values we are now cultivating. The ideology of the party was partially shaped by alien imports. [He was referring to the impact of the Islamist ideology of the Iranian Revolution and Arab states on Welfare's ideology.] Our vision was at odds with the rest of the party. The despotic rule of Erbakan Hoca made it impossible for us to realize our vision under the rubric of the National View. We believe that modernization and being Muslim complement each other. We accept the modern values of liberalism, human rights, and market economy.

Prime minister

U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld and Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdullah Gül in the Pentagon, Washington, D.C., 2003

After the Justice and Development Party (AKP) won the most votes in the November 2002 general election, Gül was appointed Prime Minister, as AK Party leader Recep Tayyip Erdoğan was unable to assume the role due to a ban on his participation in politics. After Gül's government secured legislation allowing Erdoğan's return to politics, the latter took over as prime minister on 14 March 2003. He was appointed deputy prime minister and foreign minister.

Foreign minister

After becoming foreign minister in March 2003, Gül became the key player in Turkey's attempts to receive an accession date for the European Union and in its attempts to improve relations with Syria and maintaining its relationship with the Turkic-speaking countries of Central Asia and the Caucasus. On 8 January 2008, Gül flew to the United States to meet with U.S. President George W. Bush and U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.

Gül with U.S. President Barack Obama on Obama's first visit to Ankara, 6 April 2009.

Prime Minister Erdoğan announced on 24 April 2007 that Gül would be the Justice and Development Party candidate in the 2007 presidential election. Previously, there had been speculation that Erdoğan himself would be the party's candidate, which had provoked substantial opposition from secularists. When a boycott of opposition parties in Parliament deadlocked the election process, Gül formally withdrew his candidacy on 6 May 2007. If elected he would be the first president to have been involved with Islamist parties. But a few days later, on 11 May 2007 when he inquired after the alterations to the Turkish constitution which now allowed the people to elect the president directly rather than a parliamentary vote, Gül announced that he was still intending to run.

Following the July 2007 parliamentary election, the AK Party renominated Gül as its presidential candidate on 13 August; the election was again held as a vote of parliament. On 14 August, Gül submitted his candidacy application to parliament and expressed his commitment to secularism at a news conference.

On 28 August 2007, he was elected president in the third round of voting; in the first two rounds, a two-thirds majority of MPs had been required, but in the third round he needed only a simple majority. Gül was sworn in immediately thereafter. The process was a very low-key affair.

Gül's swearing-in was not attended by the Chief of the Turkish General Staff and was boycotted by the opposition Republican People's Party; then the hand-over of power at the presidential palace was held behind closed doors. Gül's wife was not present. The traditional evening reception hosted by the new president at the presidential palace for the country's highest authorities was announced for 11:30 in the morning and wives were not invited.

His presidency was described as a "new era in Turkish politics", for being the first president of Turkey with an Islamist background.

Gül awarded "Statesman of the Year" by Queen Elizabeth II, 2010.

Gül received messages of congratulation from the US, EU and German authorities while Turkey's prime minister Tayyip Erdoğan made a statement saying "a structure doomed to uncertainty has been overcome".

In September 2008 Gül became the first Turkish leader to visit Armenia, sparking a major debate in Turkey. In November 2011, President Gül led a state visit to the United Kingdom as a guest of Queen Elizabeth II. The President met political and business leaders, visited the Olympic Park and was guest of honour at a state banquet at Buckingham Palace.

In November 2013, Gül called on Muslim countries to fight against what he called Islamophobia during his address at the 29th session of the COMCEC in Istanbul. he said:

Islamophobia remains a critical problem, which instigates unsubstantial prejudices against our region and Muslims. Terror plays a role in the persistence of such problems. We have to combat any form of deviation playing into the hands of people who equate terrorism with Islam, the religion of love, tolerance and conciliation.

Abdullah Gül speaking on the Middle East at the Halifax International Security Forum 2014

Gül has been a critic of Israel and Western countries which established relations with Israel at the expense of Palestine. After the Israeli raid on the MV Mavi Marmara in 2010, he advocated the complete ending of diplomatic relations with Israel, stating that "Israel will turn into a complete apartheid regime in the next 50 years if it does not allow for the establishment of an independent and proud Palestinian state with its capital in east Jerusalem. That is why we are exerting efforts to achieve a fair peace with a strategic point of view, which is to Israel's own interests."

On 31 December 2012, he stated with respect to the Arab spring and democratization of the Arab world: "But democracy is not only about elections. The task of creating essential democratic institutions – the rule of law, habits of accountability, gender equality, and freedom of expression and faith – still awaits these countries".

• 1949–1983: Abdullah Gül
• 1983–1991: Dr. Abdullah Gül
• 1991–1996: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Abdullah Gül, MP
• 1996–1997: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Abdullah Gül, Minister of State of Turkey
• 2002–2003: His Excellency Assoc. Prof. Dr. Abdullah Gül, Prime Minister of Turkey
• 2003–2007: His Excellency Assoc. Prof. Dr. Abdullah Gül, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkey
• 2007–2014: His Excellency Assoc. Prof. Dr. Abdullah Gül, President of the Republic of Turkey

• "T.C. CUMHURBAŞKANLIĞI : Abdullah Gül". Tccb.gov.tr. Retrieved 7 January 2011. 

National honours

Ribbon bar	Award or decoration	Country	Date	Place	Note	Ref.
	Medal of Honor of the Republic of Turkey	Turkey	7007201408280000000♠ 28 August 2014	Ankara

Foreign honours

Ribbon bar	Award or decoration	Country	Date	Place	Note	Ref.
	Pro Merito medal by European Council	European Union	7007200200000000000♠ 2002	Brussels
	First Class Order of Abdulaziz Al Saud	Saudi Arabia	7007200711090000000♠9 November 2007	Ankara	The order was named after Abdulaziz Al Saud.
	Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath	United Kingdom	7007200805130000000♠13 May 2008	Ankara	British order of chivalry.
	Medal of the tenth anniversary of the capital city of Astana	Kazakhstan	7007200807040000000♠ 4 July 2008	Astana
	Necklace of Independence	Qatar	7007200908170000000♠ 17 August 2009	Istanbul
	Grand Collar of the Order of Prince Henry	Portugal	7007200905120000000♠ 12 May 2009	Ankara	Portuguese National Order of Knighthood.
	Knight Grand Cross with Collar of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic	Italy	7007200911170000000♠ 17 November 2009	Ankara	The highest ranking honour of the Italian Republic
	Collar of the Order of Mubarak the Great	Kuwait	7007200912210000000♠ 21 December 2009	Kuwait City
	2010 Chatham House Prize	United Kingdom	7007201003200000000♠ 20 March 2010	London	Gul awarded "Statesman of the Year" by Queen Elizabeth II.
	Order of Valour	Cameroon	7007201003310000000♠ 16 March 2010	Yaoundé	Second highest order in Cameroon.
	Nishan-e-Pakistan	Pakistan	7007201003160000000♠ 31 March 2010	Islamabad	Pakistan's highest civil order.
	Grand Cross with Chain Order of Merit of the Republic of Hungary	Hungary	7007201111150000000♠ 15 November 2011	Ankara	The highest state order and second class of Hungary.
	Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Netherlands Lion	The Netherlands	7007201204160000000♠ 16 April 2012	Amsterdam	Netherlands' Lion, established in 1815.
	Order of the Golden Eagle	Kazakhstan	7007201210110000000♠ 11 October 2012	Ankara	The highest decoration of Kazakhstan.
	Knight of the Order of the Seraphim	Sweden	7007201303110000000♠ 11 March 2013	Stockholm	The highest order awarded by Swedish Royalty
	St. George's Order of Victory	Georgia	7007201304190000000♠ 19 April 2013	Ankara	Second highest state decoration awarded by President of Georgia.
	Star of President Order	Turkmenistan	7007201305290000000♠ 29 May 2013	Ashgabat	The first order given to foreign president in Turkmenistan.
	Grand Cross with Collar of Order of St. Olav	Norway	7007201311050000000♠ 5 November 2013	Ankara	The highest ranking honour of the Kingdom of Norway.
	Heydar Aliyev Order	Azerbaijan	7007201311120000000♠ 12 November 2013	Ankara	The highest national order of Azerbaijan.
	Knights of the Order of the Gold Lion of the House of Nassau	Luxembourg	7007201311180000000♠ 18 November 2013	Ankara	The highest national order in Luxembourg.
	Magtymguly International Prize	Turkmenistan	7007201406030000000♠ 3 June 2014	Ankara
	Order of the State of Northern Cyprus	Northern Cyprus	7007201407190000000♠ 19 July 2014	Northern Nicosia	The highest national order in Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.
	Danaker Order	Kyrgyzstan	7007201409080000000♠ 8 September 2014	Istanbul	The highest national order in Kyrgyzstan.

2012 - After a Turkish warplane was shot down by Syria due to violations of borders:, ... It is not possible to cover over a thing like this, whatever is necessary will be done ... It is routine for jet fighters to sometimes fly in and out over (national) borders ... when you consider their speed over the sea ... These are not ill-intentioned things but happen beyond control due to the jets' speed.