D-8 Congratulates President Abdullah Gül and the Republic of Turkey

Istanbul, Turkey | August 29, 2007 by D-8 Secretariat

D-8 Secretary General, Dipo Alam with the Turkish President, Abdullah Gul

The former Foreign Minister Abdullah Gül was elected as the Turkey’s 11th President of the Republic of Turkey today (August 28th, 2007).

Gül was elected in the third round after receiving 339 votes out of 448 cast. Following his election Gül was sworn in at Parliament, thereby assuming the presidential post from the 10th president, Ahmet Necdet Sezer, who had been acting president since May 10.

Born and raised in the Anatolian town of Kayseri on October 29, 1950, Gül went on to study economics in Turkey and in Britain. After working as economist at the Islamic Development Bank within 1983-1991, in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, he stepped into politics by being elected to parliament as a deputy for Kayseri. He then served as a minister of state in a coalition government led by Welfare Party leader Necmettin Erbakan. During his tenure he made his remarkable contribution to the birth of the D-8 Organisation, when he actively participated in think-tank group and organized a premiere success of the first D-8 Head of States meeting in Istanbul, June 1997.

The burly mustachioed politician speaks fluent English and earned a doctorate in economics after studying in Britain at universities in London and Exeter.

Gül has established himself as a respected diplomat since the AK Party was first elected in 2002, securing the launch of Turkey’s European Union entry talks. His election to the presidency will undoubtedly be welcomed in Europe as it will lead to further economic and political reforms needed for the country to move closer to the course of democratic development of Turkey. In his acceptance speech President Gül  stressed the need to trust the functioning of democracy. “The democratic system within which citizens elect their own representatives, is a structure based on the universal principles of law where ways of legal recourse are open and fundamental rights and liberties can be thoroughly enjoyed both individually and collectively,” he said.

Secretary General of D-8 Organization Dr Dipo Alam, on behalf of the Organization congratulates President Gül the 11th President of the Republic of Turkey. The Secretariat wired the congratulation letter right away, when Abdulah Gül sworn as President at the Parliament, on  August 28, 2007 at 6 PM.

Dr Alam met Dr Abdullah Gül in Ankara on March 1, 2007 during a courtesy call of the D-8 Secretariat to the Foreign Ministry of Turkey. Dr Alam believed and convinced that Gül is one of important leaders of democratic and modern Turkey in the future, who will lead the country, together with PM Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and other respected leaders, to a rapid economic and democratic progress for Turkish people. This role is crucial since Turkey is a dominant member state in the progression of economic cooperation of D-8.

To read full text of Congratulation Letter of D-8 Organization to the President of Turkey, please click here.

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