Misplaced Pages

Tansu Çiller: Difference between revisions

Article snapshot taken from Wikipedia with creative commons attribution-sharealike license. Give it a read and then ask your questions in the chat. We can research this topic together.
Browse history interactively← Previous editContent deleted Content addedVisualWikitext
Revision as of 06:29, 24 November 2022 editNutez (talk | contribs)Extended confirmed users600 edits Personal life: rmv link to Turkish pageTags: Mobile edit Mobile web edit Advanced mobile edit← Previous edit Latest revision as of 05:48, 28 November 2024 edit undoJevansen (talk | contribs)Autopatrolled, Extended confirmed users, Page movers, Pending changes reviewers, Rollbackers3,268,875 edits Removing from Category:21st-century Turkish politicians has subcat using Cat-a-lot 
(63 intermediate revisions by 37 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
{{Short description|22nd Prime Minister of the Republic of Turkey from 1993 to 1996}}{{EngvarB|date=May 2019}} {{Short description|22nd Prime Minister of the Republic of Turkey from 1993 to 1996}}
{{redirect|Çiller|a populated place|Çiller, Nallıhan}}

{{EngvarB|date=May 2019}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2024}}
{{Infobox officeholder {{Infobox officeholder
| name = Tansu Çiller | name = Tansu Çiller
| image = Turkish prime minister Tansu Çiller in Brussels.jpg
| caption = Çiller in 1994
| office = 22nd ] | office = 22nd ]
| image = File:Turkish prime minister Tansu Çiller in Brussels.jpg
| caption = Çiller in Brussels, January 1994
| deputy = ]<br />]<br />] | deputy = ]<br />]<br />]
| predecessor = ] | predecessor = Süleyman Demirel
| president = ] | president = ]
| successor = ] | successor = ]
| signature = Signature of Tansu Ciller.svg | term_start = 25 June 1993
| term_end = 6 March 1996
| office2 = ]
| predecessor2 = ]
| primeminister2 = ]
| party = ]
| office1 = ] | office1 = ]
| predecessor1 = ] | predecessor1 = ]
| primeminister1 = ] | primeminister1 = ]
| successor1 = ] | successor1 = ]
| successor2 = ]
| birth_name = Tansu Penbe
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1946|5|24|df=y}}
| birth_place = ], Turkey
| death_date =
| death_place =
| spouse = {{marriage|Özer Uçuran Çiller|1963}}
| children = 2
| alma_mater = ]<br>]<br />]<br />]
| term_start = 25 June 1993
| term_end = 6 March 1996
| term_start1 = 28 June 1996 | term_start1 = 28 June 1996
| term_end1 = 30 June 1997 | term_end1 = 30 June 1997
| office2 = ]
| predecessor2 = ]
| primeminister2 = Necmettin Erbakan
| successor2 = ]
| term_start2 = 28 June 1996 | term_start2 = 28 June 1996
| term_end2 = 30 June 1997 | term_end2 = 30 June 1997
| office3 = ] <br/><small>(Responsible for Economy)</small> | office3 = Minister of State<br/><small>(Responsible for Economy)</small>
| term_start3 = 21 November 1991 | term_start3 = 21 November 1991
| term_end3 = 25 June 1993 | term_end3 = 25 June 1993
| primeminister3 = ] | primeminister3 = Süleyman Demirel
| office4 = Leader of the ] | office4 = Leader of the ]
| term_start4 = 13 June 1993 | term_start4 = 13 June 1993
| term_end4 = 14 December 2002 | term_end4 = 14 December 2002
| predecessor4 = ] | predecessor4 = Süleyman Demirel
| successor4 = ] | successor4 = ]
| office5 = {{GNAT MP}} | office5 = {{GNAT MP}}
Line 47: Line 39:
| term_end5 = 3 November 2002 | term_end5 = 3 November 2002
| constituency5 = ] (], ], ]) | constituency5 = ] (], ], ])
| birth_name = Tansu Penbe Çiller
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1946|5|24|df=y}}
| birth_place = ], Turkey
| death_date =
| death_place =
| spouse = {{marriage|Özer Uçuran|1963|2024|end=d}}
| children = 2
| alma_mater = ]<br>]<br />]<br />]
| party = ]
| signature = Signature of Tansu Ciller.svg
}} }}
'''Tansu Çiller''' ({{IPA-tr|ˈtansu tʃiˈlːæɾ|lang}}; born 24 May 1946) is a ], economist and ] who served as the 22nd ] from 1993 to 1996. She is Turkey's first and only female prime minister to date. As the leader of the ], she went on to concurrently serve as ] and as ] between 1996 and 1997. '''Tansu Çiller''' ({{IPA|tr|ˈtansu ˈtʃilːæɾ|lang}}; born 24 May 1946) is a ], economist, and politician who served as the 22nd ] from 1993 to 1996. She was Turkey's first and only female prime minister. As the leader of the ], she went on to concurrently serve as ] and as ] between 1996 and 1997.

As a ] of ], Çiller was appointed ] for the ] by Prime Minister ] in 1991. When Demirel was ] as ] in 1993, Çiller was elected leader of the True Path Party and succeeded Demirel as Prime Minister.


Her premiership preceded over the intensifying ] the ] and the ], resulting in Çiller's enacting numerous reforms to national defense and implementing the ]. With a better equipped military, Çiller's government was able to persuade the ] and the ] to register the PKK as a terrorist organization. However, Çiller was responsible for war crimes and crimes against humanity perpetrated against the Kurdish people by the Turkish military, security forces, and paramilitary. Several reports of international organizations of human rights documented ] and towns and ]s of Kurdish civilians perpetrated by the ] during Çiller’s regime of 1993-1996.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Refugees |first=United Nations High Commissioner for |title=Refworld {{!}} The Situation of the Kurds |url=https://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6a8604.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201205081614/https://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6a8604.html |archive-date=2020-12-05 |access-date=2020-10-02 |website=Refworld |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=5 January 1996 |title=Tansu Ciller |url=https://newint.org/features/1996/01/05/tansu |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201021054618/https://newint.org/features/1996/01/05/tansu |archive-date=21 October 2020 |access-date=2 October 2020}}</ref> As a Professor of Economics, Çiller was appointed ] for the ] by Prime Minister ] in 1991. When Demirel was ] as ] in 1993, Çiller succeeded him as leader of the True Path Party and Prime Minister. Her premiership presided over the intensifying ] the ] and the ], resulting in Çiller's enacting numerous reforms to national defense. Her government was able to persuade the ] and the ] to register the PKK as a ]. However, she was responsible for ]s and ] perpetrated against the ] by the Turkish military, security forces, and paramilitary.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=Refugees |first=United Nations High Commissioner for |title=Refworld {{!}} The Situation of the Kurds |url=https://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6a8604.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201205081614/https://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6a8604.html |archive-date=2020-12-05 |access-date=2020-10-02 |website=Refworld}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{Cite web |date=5 January 1996 |title=Tansu Ciller |url=https://newint.org/features/1996/01/05/tansu |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201021054618/https://newint.org/features/1996/01/05/tansu |archive-date=21 October 2020 |access-date=2 October 2020}}</ref>


Shortly after winning the ], large-scale ] due to the lack of confidence in Çiller's ] targets led to the ] and foreign currency reserves' almost collapsing. Amid the subsequent economic crisis and ] measures, her government signed the ] in 1995. Her government was alleged to have supported the ] and presided over an escalation of tensions with ] after claiming sovereignty over the ] islets. Shortly after winning the ], large-scale ] due to the lack of confidence in Çiller's ] targets led to the ] and foreign currency reserves' almost collapsing. Amid the subsequent economic crisis and ] measures, her government signed the ] in 1995. Her government was alleged to have supported the ] and presided over an escalation of tensions with ] after claiming sovereignty over the ] islets.


Although the DYP came third in the ], she remained as Prime Minister until ] formed a government in 1996 with Çiller becoming Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs. The ] in 1996 and the subsequent ] revealed the relations between extra-legal organisations and Çiller's government. Revelations that she had employed individuals such as ] led to a decline in her approval ratings. Erbakan's government fell due to a ] and the DYP declined further in the ]. Despite coming third in the ], Çiller's DYP won less than 10% of the vote and thus lost all parliamentary representation, which led to her resignation as party leader and departure from active politics. Although the DYP came third in the ], she remained Prime Minister until she formed a coalition government with ] in 1996. The ] that year revealed the relations between extra-legal organisations and Çiller's government. Revelations that she had employed individuals connected with the ] and the ] such as ] led to a decline in her approval ratings. Erbakan's and Çiller's government fell when tensions with the military, concerned with civilians' lack of commitment to secularism, boiled over. This ] was the fourth in the republic's history. DYP declined further in the ]. Despite coming third in the ], Çiller's DYP won less than 10% of the vote and thus lost all parliamentary representation, which led to her resignation as party leader and departure from active politics.


== Background and academic career == == Background and academic career ==
Tansu was born in ]; she was the only child of her father ], a journalist and governor of ] during the 1950s, and Muazzez Çiller, a ] from ]. Tansu Çiller was born in ]; she was the only child of her father ], a journalist and governor of ] during the 1950s, and Muazzez Çiller, a ] from ].


Tansu Çiller graduated from the department of Economics at ] after completing her high school education at ] in ]. After graduating from Boğaziçi, she continued her studies in the United States, where she earned graduate degrees from the ] and ]<ref>{{Cite web|title=Tansu Çiller {{!}} Turkish prime minister and economist|url=https://www.britannica.com/biography/Tansu-Ciller|access-date=2020-06-24|website=Encyclopedia Britannica|language=en|archive-date=2019-07-23|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190723042013/https://www.britannica.com/biography/Tansu-Ciller|url-status=live}}</ref> with her husband ], who she married in 1963. She later completed her ] studies at ]. Çiller graduated from the department of Economics at Robert College Yüksek (later ]) after completing her high school education at the American College for Girls (later]) in ]. After graduating from Robert College, she continued her studies in the United States, where she earned graduate degrees from the ] and ]<ref>{{Cite web|title=Tansu Çiller {{!}} Turkish prime minister and economist|url=https://www.britannica.com/biography/Tansu-Ciller|access-date=2020-06-24|website=Encyclopedia Britannica|language=en|archive-date=2019-07-23|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190723042013/https://www.britannica.com/biography/Tansu-Ciller|url-status=live}}</ref> with her husband ], who she married in 1963. She later completed her ] studies at ].


Çiller taught economics at ] in ]. In 1978, she became a lecturer at Boğaziçi University in Istanbul and in 1983 she was appointed as professor by the same institution. She was also president of the now-defunct ]. Çiller taught economics at ] in ]. In 1978, she became a lecturer at Boğaziçi University in Istanbul and in 1983 she was appointed as professor by the same institution. She was also president of the now-defunct Istanbul Bank.


== Early political career == == Early political career ==
In addition to her job at Boğaziçi, Çiller made a name for herself with her studies at ] and her critical reports of the ]'s (ANAP) economic policies. For a short time she was a consultant to ], then Mayor of ]. In December of the same year, she was elected to the administrative board of the other major center-right party, the ] (DYP) and became the deputy president responsible for the economy. Çiller entered parliament as a deputy from Istanbul in the ]. Çiller took credit for some DYP slogans for the election, such as "Two keys", but also generated controversy with the economic program called UDİDEM, which was not implemented by the government. DYP won the election, and formed a ] with the ] (SHP). Çiller was appointed as a minister of state responsible for the economy by Prime Minister ]. She was elected to the executive board of DYP and acquired the position of deputy chair.<ref>Arat, Yeşim (1998) "A women prime minister in Turkey: did it matter?" ''Women & Politics'', 19(4): 1-22; Jensen, Jane (2008) ''Women political leaders: breaking the highest glass ceiling'' New York, NY: Palgrave Macmillan, pp. 41-2, 131; Skard, Torild (2014) "Tansu Çiller" in ''Women of power - Half a century of female presidents and prime ministers worldwide'', Bristol: Policy Press, {{ISBN|978-1-44731-578-0}}, pp. 392-3</ref> In addition to her job at Boğaziçi, Çiller made a name for herself with her studies at ] and her critical reports of the ]'s (ANAP) economic policies. For a brief period she was a consultant to ], then Mayor of ]. In December of the same year, she was elected to the administrative board of the other major center-right party, the ] (DYP) and became the deputy president responsible for the economy. Çiller entered parliament as a deputy from Istanbul in the ]. Çiller took credit for some DYP slogans for the election, such as "two keys", but also generated controversy with the economic program called UDİDEM, which was not implemented by the government. DYP won the election, and formed a ] with the ] (SHP). Çiller was appointed as a minister of state responsible for the economy by Prime Minister ]. She was elected to the executive board of DYP and acquired the position of deputy chair.<ref>Arat, Yeşim (1998) "A women prime minister in Turkey: did it matter?" ''Women & Politics'', 19(4): 1-22; Jensen, Jane (2008) ''Women political leaders: breaking the highest glass ceiling'' New York, NY: Palgrave Macmillan, pp. 41-2, 131; Skard, Torild (2014) "Tansu Çiller" in ''Women of power - Half a century of female presidents and prime ministers worldwide'', Bristol: Policy Press, {{ISBN|978-1-44731-578-0}}, pp. 392-3</ref>


After the death in office of President ] (which according to some was part of an ]), Prime Minister Demirel won the ]. Suddenly the important position as Prime Minister and leader of the DYP was vacant. The party found itself in a leadership crisis. Çiller was no obvious candidate, but her three challengers could not muster the political capital to compete effectively. The media and business community supported her, and her gender gave the impression that Turkey was a progressive Muslim country. She fell 11 votes shy of a majority in the first ballot for party leader. Her opponents withdrew and Çiller became the party's leader and on 25 June, the ] of the DYP-SHP coalition government (]).<ref>Arat, Yesim (1998) pp. 6-8; Bennett, Clinton (2010) "Tansu Ciller" in ''Moslem women of power'', London: Continuum, pp. 110, 129; Cizre, Umit (2002) "Tansu Ciller: lusting for power and undermining democracy" in M. Heper and S. Sayari: ''Political leaders and democracy in Turkey'', Lanham, MD, Oxford, Boulder, CO, and New York, NY: Lexington Books, pp. 201-2; Jensen (2008), p. 139; Skard (2014), pp. 393-4</ref> After the death in office of President ] (which according to some was part of an ]), Prime Minister Demirel won the ]. Suddenly the important position as Prime Minister and leader of the DYP was vacant. The party found itself in a leadership crisis. Çiller was no obvious candidate, but her three challengers could not muster the political capital to compete effectively. The media and business community supported her, and her gender gave the impression that Turkey was a progressive Muslim country. She fell 11 votes shy of a majority in the first ballot for party leader. Her opponents withdrew and Çiller became the party's leader and on 25 June, the first and so far only female ]. She continued the DYP-SHP coalition with small changes (]).<ref>Arat, Yesim (1998) pp. 6-8; Bennett, Clinton (2010) "Tansu Ciller" in ''Moslem women of power'', London: Continuum, pp. 110, 129; Cizre, Umit (2002) "Tansu Ciller: lusting for power and undermining democracy" in M. Heper and S. Sayari: ''Political leaders and democracy in Turkey'', Lanham, MD, Oxford, Boulder, CO, and New York, NY: Lexington Books, pp. 201-2; Jensen (2008), p. 139; Skard (2014), pp. 393-4</ref>


== As prime minister == == As prime minister ==
{{See also|50th government of Turkey|51st government of Turkey|52nd government of Turkey}}
Tansu Çiller continued Demirel's coalition government, but replaced most of the ministers from her own party. She was the only woman in cabinet until 1995, when a woman state minister for women and family affairs was appointed. As Prime Minister Çiller promoted a pro-military conservative populism and economic liberalism. She shifted the DYP more to the right than under her mentor Demirel.<ref name=":22">{{Cite news |last=Silverman |first=Reuben |date=21 June 2018 |title=Turkey’s Back to the Future Opposition: Part One |work=] |url=https://www.jadaliyya.com/Details/37678}}</ref> She juggled "masculine" and "feminine" styles, boasting of her "toughness" at the same time as she wanted to be the nation's mother and sister. She became a new role model for women politicians, though was accused of being authoritarian. Çiller appeared uninterested in ].<ref>Arat (1998), pp. 3, 9-10,12-14; Cizre (2002), pp. 206-7; Skard (2014), pp. 394-5</ref>
While forming her coalition an Islamist mob set fire to a hotel which was hosting an ] cultural event, killing 35. The ] and the government's slow response foreshadowed Çiller's future handling of human rights.

Çiller chose to continue Demirel's coalition government with the SHP, but replaced most of the ministers from her own party. She was the only woman in cabinet until 1995, when a woman state minister for women and family affairs was appointed. As Prime Minister Çiller promoted a pro-military conservative populism and economic liberalism. She shifted the DYP more to the right compared to her mentor Demirel.<ref name=":23">{{Cite news |last=Silverman |first=Reuben |date=21 June 2018 |title=Turkey's Back to the Future Opposition: Part One |work=] |url=https://www.jadaliyya.com/Details/37678}}</ref> She juggled "masculine" and "feminine" styles, boasting of her "toughness" at the same time as she wanted to be the nation's mother and sister. She became a new role model for women politicians, though was accused of being authoritarian. Çiller appeared uninterested in ].<ref>Arat (1998), pp. 3, 9-10,12-14; Cizre (2002), pp. 206-7; Skard (2014), pp. 394-5</ref>


Çiller played a major role in reforming Turkey's economic institutions, which are known as the {{Interlanguage link|5 April Decisions|tr|Tansu Çiller#5 Nisan Kararları}} and was rewarded with ] funding. Çiller played a major role in reforming Turkey's economic institutions, which are known as the {{Interlanguage link|5 April Decisions|tr|Tansu Çiller#5 Nisan Kararları}} and was rewarded with ] funding.


=== Fighting the PKK === === Fighting the PKK ===
{{See also|Kurdish–Turkish conflict (1978–present)}} {{Expand section|date=February 2023}}{{See also|Kurdish–Turkish conflict (1978–present)}}
The ] and ] occurred days after the beginning of her premiership. The ] (previously approved by the ]) was implemented to combat the ] (PKK) (although elements of the strategy preceded the official plan). The Çiller government was heavily criticized for committing ] during counter-terrorism operations. Çiller transformed the ] from an organization using vintage equipment from the ] into a modern fighting force capable of countering the PKK, using ].{{Citation needed|date=November 2020}} She also convinced the U.S. government to list the ] as a ], which was later followed by the acceptance of the same by the ].{{Citation needed|date=December 2017}} Her overall approach to the Kurds was ambiguous, while she suggested for the Kurds an autonomy similar the one the ] have in ], she retracted her statement upon pressure from the ].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kinzer |first=Stephen |date=21 February 1999 |title=Turks vs. Kurds: Turning Point? |url=https://archive.nytimes.com/www.nytimes.com/library/world/europe/022199turkey-kurd.html |url-status=live |access-date=2021-12-06 |website=]}}</ref> Her premiership preceded over the intensifying ] the ] and the ], resulting in Çiller's enacting numerous reforms to national defense and implementing the ]. The ] (previously approved by the ]) was implemented to combat the PKK (although elements of the strategy preceded the official plan). Çiller transformed the ] from an organization using vintage equipment from the ] into a modern fighting force capable of countering the PKK, using ].{{Citation needed|date=November 2020}} With a better equipped military, Çiller's government was able to persuade the ] and the ] to register the PKK as a terrorist organization. However, Çiller was responsible for ]s and ] perpetrated against the ] by the Turkish military, security forces, and paramilitary. Several reports of international organizations of human rights documented ] and towns and ]s of Kurdish civilians perpetrated by the Turkish military during Çiller's government of 1993–1996.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2" />


Her overall approach to the Kurds was ambiguous, while she suggested for the Kurds an autonomy similar the one the ] have in ], she retracted her statement upon pressure from the ].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kinzer |first=Stephen |date=21 February 1999 |title=Turks vs. Kurds: Turning Point? |url=https://archive.nytimes.com/www.nytimes.com/library/world/europe/022199turkey-kurd.html |access-date=2021-12-06 |website=]}}</ref>
=== Links with organized crime and corruption ===
She declared in October 1993: "We know the list of businessmen and artists subjected to racketeering by the PKK and we shall be bringing their members to account." Beginning on 14 January 1994, almost a hundred people were kidnapped by commandos wearing uniforms and traveling in police vehicles and then killed somewhere along the road from Ankara to Istanbul. ], a leader of the ultra-nationalist ] and an organized crime figure, demanded money from people who were on "Çiller’s list", promising to get their names removed. One of his victims, ], was to pay ten million dollars, to which Casino King ] added a further seventeen million. However, after receiving the money, he then went on to have them kidnapped and killed, and sometimes tortured beforehand.<ref name="Diplo">{{cite news | title=Turkey's pivotal role in the international drug trade | author-link=Kendal Nezan | first=Kendal | last=Nezan | work=] | date=5 July 1998 | url=http://mondediplo.com/1998/07/05turkey | access-date=21 May 2010 | archive-date=12 October 2007 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071012170514/http://mondediplo.com/1998/07/05turkey | url-status=live }}</ref>


=== Links with organized crime ===
Her popularity also suffered when ] ran an exposé of her undeclared properties in the United States. A motion to investigate Çiller's assets was rejected in the parliament. She announced that she would donate her property to the Zübeyde Hanım Şehit Mother's Foundation before the ], but never followed through with this.<ref>{{Cite web |date=13 October 2002 |title=Çiller seçti: Amerika |url=www.radikal.com.tr/yazarlar/funda_ozkan/ciller_secti_amerika-647878 |url-status=unfit |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402123414/http://www.radikal.com.tr/yazarlar/funda_ozkan/ciller_secti_amerika-647878 |archive-date=2 April 2015 |website=Radikal}}</ref>
]]]
She declared in October 1993: "We know the list of businessmen and artists subjected to racketeering by the PKK and we shall be bringing their members to account." Beginning on 14 January 1994, almost a hundred people were kidnapped by commandos wearing uniforms and traveling in police vehicles and then killed somewhere along the road from Ankara to Istanbul. ], a leader of the ultra-nationalist ] and an organized crime figure, demanded money from people who were on "Çiller’s list", promising to get their names removed. One of his victims, ], was to pay ten million dollars, to which Casino King ] added a further seventeen million. However, after receiving the money, he then went on to have them kidnapped and killed, and sometimes tortured beforehand.<ref name="Diplo">{{cite news | title=Turkey's pivotal role in the international drug trade | author-link=Kendal Nezan | first=Kendal | last=Nezan | work=] | date=5 July 1998 | url=http://mondediplo.com/1998/07/05turkey | access-date=21 May 2010 | archive-date=12 October 2007 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071012170514/http://mondediplo.com/1998/07/05turkey | url-status=live }}</ref>

=== Corruption ===
Following the collapse of her government, allegations of corruption were filed against Çiller, included among the many charges was that she interfered in the privatization of the state run corporations ] and ] by demanding that she should read the sealed bids that prospective companies put forward. These bids were later given back to the privatization board and were found to be opened, presumably allowing Çiller the opportunity to financially benefit from the privatization. In addition she allegedly used discretionary funds allocated to the prime ministry for her personal benefit, and refused to reveal to President Demirel or to future Prime Minister ] what they were used for, using the excuse of "national security."<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal |last=Meyer |first=James H. |date=September 1997 |title=Turkey's Leaders - Çiller's Scandals |url=https://www.meforum.org/359/turkeys-leaders-cillers-scandals |journal=Middle East Quarterly}}</ref>

Her popularity also suffered when '']'' ran an exposé of her undeclared properties in the United States. A motion to investigate Çiller's assets was rejected in the parliament. She announced that she would donate her property to the Martyr Zübeyde Hanım Mother's Foundation before the ], but never followed through with this.<ref>{{Cite web |date=13 October 2002 |title=Çiller seçti: Amerika |url=http://www.radikal.com.tr/yazarlar/funda_ozkan/ciller_secti_amerika-647878 |url-status=unfit |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402123414/http://www.radikal.com.tr/yazarlar/funda_ozkan/ciller_secti_amerika-647878 |archive-date=2 April 2015 |website=Radikal}}</ref>


=== Foreign Policy === === Foreign Policy ===
Line 90: Line 99:
In March 1995, the ] took place; official reports following the 1996 ] suggested Çiller and others in cabinet had supported the coup attempt, which aimed to reinstall ] as president.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Karabağlı |first=Hülya |date=9 October 2012 |title='Çiller özel örgütü' iddiaları MİT raporunda var mı? |work=] |url=https://t24.com.tr/haber/ciller-ozel-orgutu-iddialari-mit-raporunda-var-mi,217026 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170711042947/http://t24.com.tr/haber/ciller-ozel-orgutu-iddialari-mit-raporunda-var-mi,217026 |archive-date=11 July 2017}}</ref> In March 1995, the ] took place; official reports following the 1996 ] suggested Çiller and others in cabinet had supported the coup attempt, which aimed to reinstall ] as president.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Karabağlı |first=Hülya |date=9 October 2012 |title='Çiller özel örgütü' iddiaları MİT raporunda var mı? |work=] |url=https://t24.com.tr/haber/ciller-ozel-orgutu-iddialari-mit-raporunda-var-mi,217026 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170711042947/http://t24.com.tr/haber/ciller-ozel-orgutu-iddialari-mit-raporunda-var-mi,217026 |archive-date=11 July 2017}}</ref>


Çiller was prime minister during the January 1996 ] crisis with neighbouring ].{{Citation needed|date=December 2017}} As deputy Prime Minister under Erbakan's premiership, Çiller declared that if ] tried to divide ], it would have the Turkish Army in ] 24 hours later.<ref name="hri">{{cite web |title=Pangalos/Gr-Turk.Relations |url=http://www.hri.org/news/greek/ant1en/1997/97-06-04.ant1en.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120125043639/http://www.hri.org/news/greek/ant1en/1997/97-06-04.ant1en.html |archive-date=2012-01-25 |access-date=2011-04-26 |publisher=hri.org}}</ref><ref name="hri2">{{cite web |title="Turkey Will Not Stay Spectator Towards Efforts to Divide Albania" - declares Tansu Çiller |url=http://www.hri.org/news/balkans/ata/1997/97-03-21.ata.html#11 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101230160629/http://www.hri.org/news/balkans/ata/1997/97-03-21.ata.html#11 |archive-date=2010-12-30 |access-date=2011-04-26 |publisher=hri.org}}</ref>
Çiller was prime minister during the January 1996 ] crisis with neighbouring ].{{Citation needed|date=December 2017}}


She was the first Turkish Prime Minister to visit ].<ref>{{Cite web |date=1994 |title= Tansu Çiller İsrail|url=http://gazetearsivi.milliyet.com.tr/Ara.aspx?araKelime=Tansu%20%C3%87iller%20%C4%B0srail&isAdv=false |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190117174325/http://gazetearsivi.milliyet.com.tr/Ara.aspx?araKelime=Tansu |archive-date=17 January 2019 |website=Milliyet}}</ref> She was the first Turkish Prime Minister to visit ] as well as meet with ].<ref>{{Cite web |date=1994 |title= Tansu Çiller İsrail|url=http://gazetearsivi.milliyet.com.tr/Ara.aspx?araKelime=Tansu%20%C3%87iller%20%C4%B0srail&isAdv=false |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190117174325/http://gazetearsivi.milliyet.com.tr/Ara.aspx?araKelime=Tansu |archive-date=17 January 2019 |website=Milliyet}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Makovsky |first=Alan |date=3 November 1993 |title=Tansu Ciller in Israel: Pursuing Turkish-Israeli Partnership |url=https://www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analysis/tansu-ciller-israel-pursuing-turkish-israeli-partnership |website=The Washington Institute for Near East Policy}}</ref>


== 1995 election and Ana-Yol government == == 1995 election and Ana-Yol government ==
After the withdrawal of the ] (CHP) from the coalition in October 1995 (the SHP had split, merged, and renamed itself) Çiller attempted to form a minority government with ] from the ] (MHP), which failed in less than a month (]). She agreed to form another cabinet (]) with the CHP in the lead up to ]. Çiller employed nationalist and secularist rhetoric in the party's first election with her as party chair. DYP received a resounding defeat, losing 30% of its support from 1991. After the withdrawal of the ] (CHP) from the coalition in October 1995 (the SHP had split, merged, and renamed itself) Çiller attempted to form a minority government with ] from the ] (MHP), which failed in less than a month (]). She agreed to form another cabinet (]) with the CHP in the lead up to ]. Çiller employed nationalist and secularist rhetoric in the party's first election with her as party chair. DYP received a resounding defeat, losing 30% of its support from 1991.


Coalition negotiations were protracted, and Çiller remained in office at the head of the DYP-CHP coalition until March 1996, when the DYP formed a unstable coalition with ANAP and the ] (DSP) supplying confidence, with ] becoming Prime Minister, and herself ]. ] filed suit in the ] when the government succeeded in a vote of confidence with only a plurality, not a majority –]'s DSP voted to abstain in the end. Çiller found herself boxed in from two directions: the ] voted to investigate allegations of corruption against her in a vote in which opposition parties –even her coalition partners– supported, and the Constitutional Court ruled that the government's vote of confidence was unconstitutional. Prime Minister Yılmaz resigned 6 June, ending the ]. Coalition negotiations were protracted, and Çiller remained in office at the head of the DYP-CHP coalition until March 1996, when the DYP formed an unstable coalition with ANAP and the ] (DSP) supplying confidence, with ] becoming Prime Minister, and herself ]. ] filed suit in the ] when the government succeeded in a vote of confidence with only a plurality, not a majority –]'s DSP voted to abstain in the end. Çiller found herself boxed in from two directions: the ] voted to investigate allegations of corruption against her in a vote in which opposition parties –even her coalition partners– supported, and the Constitutional Court ruled that the government's vote of confidence was unconstitutional. Prime Minister Yılmaz resigned 6 June, ending the ].


== Refah-Yol government and MGK memorandum == == Refah-Yol government and MGK memorandum ==
] in ]]] {{See also|54th government of Turkey}}] in ]]]
After the Motherland–DYP coalition collapsed in June 1996, the DYP formed a ] with the ] (RP), under ], with Çiller as Minister of Foreign Affairs, ], and Alternate Prime Minister. This coalition was controversial, not only did an openly Islamist politician become premier, but Çiller lost credibility for joining forces with those she most criticized on the campaign trail.<ref>Arat (1998), p. 18; Cizre (2002), p. 213; Skard (2014), pp. 395-6</ref> In an eight (Welfare and DYP members) to seven vote, the Parliamentary Investigation Commission decided that her misuse of public funds on TEDAŞ tenders had no need to be reviewed by the Constitutional Court. The coalition with Welfare has been interpreted as a '']'' for Çiller's acquittal. Nevertheless, she was reelected chairwoman in a party congress, but ] resigned with several DYP deputies to form the ] (DTP).<ref>{{Cite web |last=Cop |first=Burak |date=28 February 2011 |title=28 Şubat'ta Ne Oldu? |url=https://bianet.org/bianet/bianet/128226-28-subat-ta-ne-oldu |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402091113/http://bianet.org/bianet/bianet/128226-28-subat-ta-ne-oldu |archive-date=2 April 2015 |website=Bianet}}</ref> After the Motherland–DYP coalition collapsed in June 1996, the DYP formed a ] with the ] (RP), under ], with Çiller as Minister of Foreign Affairs, ], and Alternate Prime Minister. This coalition was controversial, not only did an openly Islamist politician become premier for the first time in the history of the Turkish Republic, but Çiller lost credibility for joining forces with those she most criticized on the campaign trail.<ref>Arat (1998), p. 18; Cizre (2002), p. 213; Skard (2014), pp. 395-6</ref> Whatever Çiller and Erbakan said of each other in the past was history, both were isolated and needed each other to survive. Çiller needed a coalition partner to keep a parliamentary majority from lifting her and her allies' immunities to investigate her corruption charges, while Erbakan needed the same so as to fight his ideological struggle against the secularist Turkish military.<ref name=":0" />
In an eight (Welfare and DYP members) to seven vote, the Parliamentary Investigation Commission decided that her misuse of public funds on Tofaş and Tedaş tenders had no need to be reviewed by the Constitutional Court. The coalition with Welfare has been interpreted as a '']'' for Çiller's acquittal. She was reelected chairwoman of DYP in a party congress, but ] quit with several DYP deputies to form the ] (DTP).<ref>{{Cite web |last=Cop |first=Burak |date=28 February 2011 |title=28 Şubat'ta Ne Oldu? |url=https://bianet.org/bianet/bianet/128226-28-subat-ta-ne-oldu |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402091113/http://bianet.org/bianet/bianet/128226-28-subat-ta-ne-oldu |archive-date=2 April 2015 |website=Bianet}}</ref>


=== Susurluk === === Susurluk ===
After the November 1996 ], which resulted in ] that demonstrated the close ties that the government, security services, organized crime, and far-right groups had with each other, she praised ], who died in the crash, saying: "Those who fire bullets or suffer their wounds in the name of this country, this nation, and this state will always be respectfully remembered by us."<ref>], ,{{dead link|date=October 2013}} '']'', April 1997.</ref><ref name="HRFT39"> {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081003030413/http://www.tihv.org.tr/EN/data/Yayinlar/Human_Rights_Reports/Ra1998HumanRigthsReport.pdf |date=2008-10-03 }} from the ], chapter II, "SUSURLUK SCANDAL: Counter-guerilla Affairs", pp. 39–86 (see note on p. 39)</ref> The ] lead a series of protests against the government for its links with organized crime groups. ] ] resigned following the scandal, and was replaced by ]. After the November 1996 ], which resulted in ] that demonstrated the close ties that the government, security services, organized crime, and far-right groups had with each other, she praised ], who died in the crash, saying: "Those who fire bullets or suffer their wounds in the name of this country, this nation, and this state will always be respectfully remembered by us."<ref>], ,{{dead link|date=October 2013}} '']'', April 1997.</ref><ref name="HRFT39"> {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081003030413/http://www.tihv.org.tr/EN/data/Yayinlar/Human_Rights_Reports/Ra1998HumanRigthsReport.pdf |date=2008-10-03 }} from the ], chapter II, "SUSURLUK SCANDAL: Counter-guerilla Affairs", pp. 39–86 (see note on p. 39)</ref> The ] lead a series of protests against the government for its links with organized crime groups. ] ] resigned following the scandal, and was replaced by ].


=== 1997 "post-modern" coup === === 1997 "post-modern" coup ===
The ] eyed the coalition with great suspicion, but Çiller hoped that her secular credentials and strong relationship with the military could ease tensions. She positioned herself as an intermediate between the military and the Welfare Party. However by the beginning of 1997, relations between the government and the military were increasingly strained, especially after a Welfare mayor of ] hosted the Iranian Ambassador who gave a speech in support of ] (See ]).<ref name=":2">{{Cite news |last=Silverman |first=Reuben |date=21 June 2018 |title=Turkey’s Back to the Future Opposition: Part One |work=] |url=https://www.jadaliyya.com/Details/37678}}</ref> The military subsequently displayed a show of strength by driving a tank convoy through Sincan a few days later. The ] eyed the coalition with great suspicion, but Çiller hoped that her secular credentials and strong relationship with the military could ease tensions. She positioned herself as an intermediate between the secularist military and the Islamist Welfare Party. However, by the beginning of 1997, relations between the government and the military were increasingly strained, especially after a Welfare mayor of ] hosted the Iranian Ambassador who gave a speech in support of ] (See ]).<ref name=":23"/> The military subsequently displayed a show of strength by driving a tank convoy through Sincan a few days later.


After a nine hour ] meeting held ] were presented to the Refah-Yol government to combat what the military called ''İrtica'' (]). Çiller's relationship with the military completely broke down. She saw that the military was determined to overthrow the government, and recommended retiring the chief of staff and force commanders which was blocked by Erbakan. Çiller and Akşener were successful in replacing the Chief of National Police and getting his replacement to wiretap high ranking generals.<ref name="hri2" /> With resignations of DYP ministers from the government and pressure from the military, Erbakan resigned, and the "post-modern coup" concluded on 30 June, 1997. DYP and others expected to form a government under Çiller, but ] disregarded the rotation agreement and asked ANAP leader Yılmaz to form the new government instead. While Erbakan's fall from power condemned his political career until the end of his life, Çiller's was also effectively over. Her maneuvers, political excuses, failed policies, and scandals made her very unpopular. 35 women's organizations took her to court because she lacked feminist principles. She was also criticized for undermining democracy and threatening journalists.<ref>Arat (1998), p. 18; Bennett (2010) pp. 113, 132, 135; Cizre (2002), p. 213; Skard (2014), pp. 395-6</ref><ref name=":2" /> After a nine-hour ] meeting held ] were presented to the Refah-Yol government to combat what the military called ''İrtica'' (]). Çiller's relationship with the military completely broke down. She saw that the military was determined to overthrow the government, and recommended retiring the chief of staff and force commanders, but this which was blocked by a calmer Erbakan. Çiller and Akşener were successful in sacking the Chief of National Police and getting his replacement to wiretap high ranking generals of the ].<ref name="hri2" /> Upon one general learning of that he was being wiretaped by the Interior Ministry he allegedly threatened to "impale her like a goose."<ref name=":23"/>


With resignations of DYP ministers from the government and pressure from the military, Erbakan resigned, and the "post-modern coup" concluded on 30 June 1997. DYP and others expected to form a government under Çiller, but President Demirel disregarded the rotation agreement and asked ANAP leader Yılmaz to form the new government instead. While Erbakan's fall from power condemned his political career until the end of his life, Çiller's was also effectively over. Her maneuvers, political excuses, failed policies, and scandals made her very unpopular. Almost one-third of her party didn't join in voting with her against the confidence vote of Yılmaz's new government.<ref name=":0" /> 35 women's organizations took her to court because she lacked feminist principles. She was also criticized for undermining democracy and threatening journalists.<ref>Arat (1998), p. 18; Bennett (2010) pp. 113, 132, 135; Cizre (2002), p. 213; Skard (2014), pp. 395-6</ref><ref name=":23"/>
As deputy Prime Minister, Çiller declared that if ] tried to divide ], it would have the Turkish Army in ] 24 hours later.<ref name="hri">{{cite web|url=http://www.hri.org/news/greek/ant1en/1997/97-06-04.ant1en.html|title=Pangalos/Gr-Turk.Relations|publisher=hri.org|access-date=2011-04-26|archive-date=2012-01-25|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120125043639/http://www.hri.org/news/greek/ant1en/1997/97-06-04.ant1en.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="hri2">{{cite web|url=http://www.hri.org/news/balkans/ata/1997/97-03-21.ata.html#11|title="Turkey Will Not Stay Spectator Towards Efforts to Divide Albania" - declares Tansu Çiller|publisher=hri.org|access-date=2011-04-26|archive-date=2010-12-30|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101230160629/http://www.hri.org/news/balkans/ata/1997/97-03-21.ata.html#11|url-status=live}}</ref>


== Fall from politics == == Fall from politics ==
Tansu Çiller was investigated by the Turkish Parliament on serious ] and abuses of power following her period in government. Along with ], she was later cleared of all charges mainly due to technicalities such as ] and ]. Near the end of 1998, the corruption files about Yılmaz and Çiller were covered up at the commissions of the Parliament in a common action staged by ], ] and ] MPs.<ref>{{dead link|date=September 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} from the ], p. 11.</ref> In the ] she presented herself as a leader of the downtrodden and the religious, pausing her campaign speeches during the prayer of ], or demanding that ].<ref>{{Cite book|title=National Elections in Turkey: People, Politics, and the Party System|last=Wuthrich|first=F. Michael|date=2015-07-28|publisher=Syracuse University Press|isbn=9780815634126|pages=215|language=en}}</ref> Her party polled at only about 12%.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Political Parties in Turkey|last1=Rubin|first1=Barry|last2=Heper|first2=Metin|date=2013-12-16|publisher=Routledge|isbn=9781135289386|pages=96|language=en}}</ref> She was still reelected DYP's chairwoman in a party conference later that year, and became ] with the closure of Erbakan's ] and the split in the ]. Çiller was investigated by the Turkish Parliament on serious corruption charges and abuses of power following her period in government. Along with ], she was later cleared of all charges mainly due to technicalities such as ] and ]. Near the end of 1998, the corruption files about Yılmaz and Çiller were covered up at the commissions of the parliament in a common action staged by DYP, ] and ] MPs.<ref>{{dead link|date=September 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} from the ], p. 11.</ref> In the ] she presented herself as a leader of the downtrodden and the religious, pausing her campaign speeches during the prayer of ], or demanding that ].<ref>{{Cite book|title=National Elections in Turkey: People, Politics, and the Party System|last=Wuthrich|first=F. Michael|date=2015-07-28|publisher=Syracuse University Press|isbn=9780815634126|pages=215|language=en}}</ref> Her party polled at only about 12%.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Political Parties in Turkey|last1=Rubin|first1=Barry|last2=Heper|first2=Metin|date=2013-12-16|publisher=Routledge|isbn=9781135289386|pages=96|language=en}}</ref> She was still reelected DYP's chairwoman in a party conference later that year, and became ] with the closure of Erbakan's ] and the split in the ].


Çiller's political career came to its end when her party narrowly failed to poll above the 10% threshold in the ], thus receiving no representation in parliament despite her role as Leader of Main Opposition for more than two years. In a press conference she announced her retirement from politics, and was succeeded by Mehmet Ağar.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.britannica.com/biography/Tansu-Ciller|title=Tansu Ciller {{!}} Turkish prime minister and economist|work=Encyclopedia Britannica|access-date=2017-12-06|language=en|archive-date=2019-07-23|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190723042013/https://www.britannica.com/biography/Tansu-Ciller|url-status=live}}</ref> Çiller's political career came to its end when her party narrowly failed to poll above the 10% threshold in the ], thus receiving no representation in parliament despite her role as Leader of Main Opposition for more than two years. In a press conference she announced her retirement from politics, and was succeeded by Mehmet Ağar.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.britannica.com/biography/Tansu-Ciller|title=Tansu Ciller {{!}} Turkish prime minister and economist|work=Encyclopedia Britannica|access-date=2017-12-06|language=en|archive-date=2019-07-23|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190723042013/https://www.britannica.com/biography/Tansu-Ciller|url-status=live}}</ref>


== Later career == == Later career ==
] in ]'s Funeral]] {{stack|] (age 59) at ]'s funeral (18 June 2015)]]}}
She is a member of the ], an international network of current and former women presidents and prime ministers whose mission is to mobilize the highest-level women leaders globally for collective action on issues of critical importance to women and equitable development.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.unfoundation.org/features/cwwl-bios/council-of-women-world-leaders-members.html|title=Council of Women World Leaders: Members|website=United Nations Foundation|access-date=2017-12-06|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150910112829/http://www.unfoundation.org/features/cwwl-bios/council-of-women-world-leaders-members.html|archive-date=2015-09-10|url-status=dead}}</ref> Çiller is a member of the ], an international network of current and former women presidents and prime ministers whose mission is to mobilize the highest-level women leaders globally for ] on issues of critical importance to women and ].<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.unfoundation.org/features/cwwl-bios/council-of-women-world-leaders-members.html |title=Council of Women World Leaders: Members |website=United Nations Foundation |author=United Nations Foundation |access-date=2017-12-06 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150910112829/http://www.unfoundation.org/features/cwwl-bios/council-of-women-world-leaders-members.html |archive-date=2015-09-10 |date=2015-09-10 |url-status=dead }}</ref>


Çiller attended a ] rally in 2018 in support of ]'s candidacy for that years ].<ref>{{Cite web |date=17 June 2018 |title=Cumhurbaşkanı Erdoğan'ın Yenikapı mitingine Çiller desteği Access to the comments |url=https://tr.euronews.com/2018/06/17/cumhurbaskan-erdogan-n-yenikap-mitingine-ciller-destegi |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200621144022/https://tr.euronews.com/2018/06/17/cumhurbaskan-erdogan-n-yenikap-mitingine-ciller-destegi |archive-date=21 June 2020 |website=Euronews}}</ref> In 2018, Çiller attended a ] rally in support of ]'s candidacy for that year's ].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2018-06-17 |author1=Euronews |author2=Anadolu Ajansı |title=Cumhurbaşkanı Erdoğan'ın Yenikapı mitingine Çiller desteği Access to the comments |url=https://tr.euronews.com/2018/06/17/cumhurbaskan-erdogan-n-yenikap-mitingine-ciller-destegi |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200621144022/https://tr.euronews.com/2018/06/17/cumhurbaskan-erdogan-n-yenikap-mitingine-ciller-destegi |archive-date=2020-06-21 |website=Euronews}}</ref>


== Personal life == == Personal life ==
Tansu Çiller can speak ] and ] well, and has two children with her husband, ]. In addition to Turkish, Çiller can speak ] and ] fluently. She has two children with her husband, ] who died of heart attack at his home in ], İstanbul, on 1 June 2024, at the age of 86.<ref>{{cite news| title=Tansu Çiller'in eşi Özer Uçuran Çiller hayatını kaybetti |work=TRT News| date=1 June 2024|trans-title=Tansu Çiller's husband Özer Uçuran Çiller passed away| url=https://www.trthaber.com/haber/gundem/tansu-cillerin-esi-ozer-ucuran-ciller-hayatini-kaybetti-861217.html | language=tr | access-date=1 June 2024}}</ref>


== See also == == See also ==
Line 170: Line 181:
] ]
] ]
] ]
] ]
] ]
] ]
]
] ]
] ]
] ]
] ]
] ]
Line 191: Line 201:
] ]
] ]
] ]
] ]
] ]
] ]
] ]
] ]
] ]
] ]
] ]
Line 203: Line 213:
] ]
] ]
] ]
] ]
] ]

Latest revision as of 05:48, 28 November 2024

22nd Prime Minister of the Republic of Turkey from 1993 to 1996 "Çiller" redirects here. For a populated place, see Çiller, Nallıhan.

Tansu Çiller
Çiller in 1994
22nd Prime Minister of Turkey
In office
25 June 1993 – 6 March 1996
PresidentSüleyman Demirel
DeputyMurat Karayalçın
Hikmet Çetin
Deniz Baykal
Preceded bySüleyman Demirel
Succeeded byMesut Yılmaz
Deputy Prime Minister of Turkey
In office
28 June 1996 – 30 June 1997
Prime MinisterNecmettin Erbakan
Preceded byNahit Menteşe
Succeeded byİsmet Sezgin
Minister of Foreign Affairs
In office
28 June 1996 – 30 June 1997
Prime MinisterNecmettin Erbakan
Preceded byEmre Gönensay
Succeeded byİsmail Cem
Minister of State
(Responsible for Economy)
In office
21 November 1991 – 25 June 1993
Prime MinisterSüleyman Demirel
Leader of the True Path Party
In office
13 June 1993 – 14 December 2002
Preceded bySüleyman Demirel
Succeeded byMehmet Ağar
Member of the Grand National Assembly
In office
20 October 1991 – 3 November 2002
ConstituencyIstanbul (1991, 1995, 1999)
Personal details
BornTansu Penbe Çiller
(1946-05-24) 24 May 1946 (age 78)
Istanbul, Turkey
Political partyTrue Path Party
Spouse Özer Uçuran ​ ​(m. 1963; died 2024)
Children2
Alma materRobert College
University of New Hampshire
University of Connecticut
Yale University
Signature

Tansu Çiller (Turkish: [ˈtansu ˈtʃilːæɾ]; born 24 May 1946) is a Turkish academic, economist, and politician who served as the 22nd Prime Minister of Turkey from 1993 to 1996. She was Turkey's first and only female prime minister. As the leader of the True Path Party, she went on to concurrently serve as Deputy Prime Minister of Turkey and as Minister of Foreign Affairs between 1996 and 1997.

As a Professor of Economics, Çiller was appointed Minister of State for the economy by Prime Minister Süleyman Demirel in 1991. When Demirel was elected as President in 1993, Çiller succeeded him as leader of the True Path Party and Prime Minister. Her premiership presided over the intensifying armed conflict between the Turkish Armed Forces and the PKK, resulting in Çiller's enacting numerous reforms to national defense. Her government was able to persuade the United States and the European Union to register the PKK as a terrorist organization. However, she was responsible for war crimes and crimes against humanity perpetrated against the Kurdish people by the Turkish military, security forces, and paramilitary.

Shortly after winning the 1994 local elections, large-scale capital flight due to the lack of confidence in Çiller's budget deficit targets led to the Turkish lira and foreign currency reserves' almost collapsing. Amid the subsequent economic crisis and austerity measures, her government signed the EU-Turkey Customs Union in 1995. Her government was alleged to have supported the 1995 Azeri coup d'état attempt and presided over an escalation of tensions with Greece after claiming sovereignty over the Imia/Kardak islets.

Although the DYP came third in the 1995 general election, she remained Prime Minister until she formed a coalition government with Necmettin Erbakan in 1996. The Susurluk scandal that year revealed the relations between extra-legal organisations and Çiller's government. Revelations that she had employed individuals connected with the Turkish mafia and the Grey Wolves such as Abdullah Çatlı led to a decline in her approval ratings. Erbakan's and Çiller's government fell when tensions with the military, concerned with civilians' lack of commitment to secularism, boiled over. This coup d'état by military memorandum was the fourth in the republic's history. DYP declined further in the 1999 general election. Despite coming third in the 2002 general election, Çiller's DYP won less than 10% of the vote and thus lost all parliamentary representation, which led to her resignation as party leader and departure from active politics.

Background and academic career

Tansu Çiller was born in Istanbul; she was the only child of her father Necati Çiller, a journalist and governor of Bilecik Province during the 1950s, and Muazzez Çiller, a Rumelian Turk from Thessaloniki.

Çiller graduated from the department of Economics at Robert College Yüksek (later Boğaziçi University) after completing her high school education at the American College for Girls (laterRobert College) in Istanbul. After graduating from Robert College, she continued her studies in the United States, where she earned graduate degrees from the University of New Hampshire and University of Connecticut with her husband Özer Uçuran, who she married in 1963. She later completed her postdoctoral studies at Yale University.

Çiller taught economics at Franklin and Marshall College in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. In 1978, she became a lecturer at Boğaziçi University in Istanbul and in 1983 she was appointed as professor by the same institution. She was also president of the now-defunct Istanbul Bank.

Early political career

In addition to her job at Boğaziçi, Çiller made a name for herself with her studies at TÜSİAD and her critical reports of the Motherland Party's (ANAP) economic policies. For a brief period she was a consultant to Bedrettin Dalan, then Mayor of Istanbul. In December of the same year, she was elected to the administrative board of the other major center-right party, the True Path Party (DYP) and became the deputy president responsible for the economy. Çiller entered parliament as a deputy from Istanbul in the 1991 election. Çiller took credit for some DYP slogans for the election, such as "two keys", but also generated controversy with the economic program called UDİDEM, which was not implemented by the government. DYP won the election, and formed a coalition government with the Social Democrat Populist Party (SHP). Çiller was appointed as a minister of state responsible for the economy by Prime Minister Süleyman Demirel. She was elected to the executive board of DYP and acquired the position of deputy chair.

After the death in office of President Turgut Özal (which according to some was part of an alleged military coup), Prime Minister Demirel won the 1993 presidential election. Suddenly the important position as Prime Minister and leader of the DYP was vacant. The party found itself in a leadership crisis. Çiller was no obvious candidate, but her three challengers could not muster the political capital to compete effectively. The media and business community supported her, and her gender gave the impression that Turkey was a progressive Muslim country. She fell 11 votes shy of a majority in the first ballot for party leader. Her opponents withdrew and Çiller became the party's leader and on 25 June, the first and so far only female Prime Minister of Turkey. She continued the DYP-SHP coalition with small changes (50th government of Turkey).

As prime minister

See also: 50th government of Turkey, 51st government of Turkey, and 52nd government of Turkey

While forming her coalition an Islamist mob set fire to a hotel which was hosting an Alevi cultural event, killing 35. The Sivas massacre and the government's slow response foreshadowed Çiller's future handling of human rights.

Çiller chose to continue Demirel's coalition government with the SHP, but replaced most of the ministers from her own party. She was the only woman in cabinet until 1995, when a woman state minister for women and family affairs was appointed. As Prime Minister Çiller promoted a pro-military conservative populism and economic liberalism. She shifted the DYP more to the right compared to her mentor Demirel. She juggled "masculine" and "feminine" styles, boasting of her "toughness" at the same time as she wanted to be the nation's mother and sister. She became a new role model for women politicians, though was accused of being authoritarian. Çiller appeared uninterested in women's issues.

Çiller played a major role in reforming Turkey's economic institutions, which are known as the 5 April Decisions [tr] and was rewarded with IMF funding.

Fighting the PKK

This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (February 2023)
See also: Kurdish–Turkish conflict (1978–present)

Her premiership preceded over the intensifying armed conflict between the Turkish Armed Forces and the PKK, resulting in Çiller's enacting numerous reforms to national defense and implementing the Castle Plan. The Castle Plan (previously approved by the National Security Council) was implemented to combat the PKK (although elements of the strategy preceded the official plan). Çiller transformed the Turkish Army from an organization using vintage equipment from the US Army into a modern fighting force capable of countering the PKK, using hit-and-run tactics. With a better equipped military, Çiller's government was able to persuade the United States and the European Union to register the PKK as a terrorist organization. However, Çiller was responsible for war crimes and crimes against humanity perpetrated against the Kurdish people by the Turkish military, security forces, and paramilitary. Several reports of international organizations of human rights documented destroying and burning Kurdish villages and towns and extrajudicial killings of Kurdish civilians perpetrated by the Turkish military during Çiller's government of 1993–1996.

Her overall approach to the Kurds was ambiguous, while she suggested for the Kurds an autonomy similar the one the Basques have in Spain, she retracted her statement upon pressure from the Turkish military.

Links with organized crime

1994 DYP election rally in Kütahya

She declared in October 1993: "We know the list of businessmen and artists subjected to racketeering by the PKK and we shall be bringing their members to account." Beginning on 14 January 1994, almost a hundred people were kidnapped by commandos wearing uniforms and traveling in police vehicles and then killed somewhere along the road from Ankara to Istanbul. Abdullah Çatlı, a leader of the ultra-nationalist Grey Wolves and an organized crime figure, demanded money from people who were on "Çiller’s list", promising to get their names removed. One of his victims, Behçet Cantürk, was to pay ten million dollars, to which Casino King Ömer Lütfü Topal added a further seventeen million. However, after receiving the money, he then went on to have them kidnapped and killed, and sometimes tortured beforehand.

Corruption

Following the collapse of her government, allegations of corruption were filed against Çiller, included among the many charges was that she interfered in the privatization of the state run corporations Tofaş and Tedaş by demanding that she should read the sealed bids that prospective companies put forward. These bids were later given back to the privatization board and were found to be opened, presumably allowing Çiller the opportunity to financially benefit from the privatization. In addition she allegedly used discretionary funds allocated to the prime ministry for her personal benefit, and refused to reveal to President Demirel or to future Prime Minister Mesut Yılmaz what they were used for, using the excuse of "national security."

Her popularity also suffered when Milliyet ran an exposé of her undeclared properties in the United States. A motion to investigate Çiller's assets was rejected in the parliament. She announced that she would donate her property to the Martyr Zübeyde Hanım Mother's Foundation before the 1995 election, but never followed through with this.

Foreign Policy

Meeting between Turkish delegation and EU delegation, led by Tansu Çiller and Jacques Delors respectively

The EU-Turkey Customs Union agreement was signed in 1995 and came into effect in 1996 during Çiller's government.

In March 1995, the 1995 Azeri coup d'état attempt took place; official reports following the 1996 Susurluk scandal suggested Çiller and others in cabinet had supported the coup attempt, which aimed to reinstall Ebulfeyz Elçibey as president.

Çiller was prime minister during the January 1996 Imia/Kardak crisis with neighbouring Greece. As deputy Prime Minister under Erbakan's premiership, Çiller declared that if Greece tried to divide Albania, it would have the Turkish Army in Athens 24 hours later.

She was the first Turkish Prime Minister to visit Israel as well as meet with Yaser Arafat.

1995 election and Ana-Yol government

After the withdrawal of the Republican People's Party (CHP) from the coalition in October 1995 (the SHP had split, merged, and renamed itself) Çiller attempted to form a minority government with confidence and supply from the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), which failed in less than a month (51st government of Turkey). She agreed to form another cabinet (52nd government of Turkey) with the CHP in the lead up to 1995 general election. Çiller employed nationalist and secularist rhetoric in the party's first election with her as party chair. DYP received a resounding defeat, losing 30% of its support from 1991.

Coalition negotiations were protracted, and Çiller remained in office at the head of the DYP-CHP coalition until March 1996, when the DYP formed an unstable coalition with ANAP and the Democratic Left Party (DSP) supplying confidence, with Mesut Yılmaz becoming Prime Minister, and herself Alternate Prime Minister. Necmettin Erbakan filed suit in the Constitutional Court when the government succeeded in a vote of confidence with only a plurality, not a majority –Bülent Ecevit's DSP voted to abstain in the end. Çiller found herself boxed in from two directions: the Grand National Assembly voted to investigate allegations of corruption against her in a vote in which opposition parties –even her coalition partners– supported, and the Constitutional Court ruled that the government's vote of confidence was unconstitutional. Prime Minister Yılmaz resigned 6 June, ending the ANAYOL government.

Refah-Yol government and MGK memorandum

See also: 54th government of Turkey
Tansu Çiller and Felipe González in Palace of Moncloa

After the Motherland–DYP coalition collapsed in June 1996, the DYP formed a historic coalition with the Welfare Party (RP), under Necmettin Erbakan, with Çiller as Minister of Foreign Affairs, Deputy Prime Minister, and Alternate Prime Minister. This coalition was controversial, not only did an openly Islamist politician become premier for the first time in the history of the Turkish Republic, but Çiller lost credibility for joining forces with those she most criticized on the campaign trail. Whatever Çiller and Erbakan said of each other in the past was history, both were isolated and needed each other to survive. Çiller needed a coalition partner to keep a parliamentary majority from lifting her and her allies' immunities to investigate her corruption charges, while Erbakan needed the same so as to fight his ideological struggle against the secularist Turkish military.

In an eight (Welfare and DYP members) to seven vote, the Parliamentary Investigation Commission decided that her misuse of public funds on Tofaş and Tedaş tenders had no need to be reviewed by the Constitutional Court. The coalition with Welfare has been interpreted as a quid pro quo for Çiller's acquittal. She was reelected chairwoman of DYP in a party congress, but Hüsamettin Çindoruk quit with several DYP deputies to form the Democrat Turkey Party (DTP).

Susurluk

After the November 1996 Susurluk car crash, which resulted in a scandal that demonstrated the close ties that the government, security services, organized crime, and far-right groups had with each other, she praised Abdullah Çatlı, who died in the crash, saying: "Those who fire bullets or suffer their wounds in the name of this country, this nation, and this state will always be respectfully remembered by us." The Citizens' Initiative for Eternal Light lead a series of protests against the government for its links with organized crime groups. Interior Minister Mehmet Ağar resigned following the scandal, and was replaced by Meral Akşener.

1997 "post-modern" coup

The Turkish Armed Forces eyed the coalition with great suspicion, but Çiller hoped that her secular credentials and strong relationship with the military could ease tensions. She positioned herself as an intermediate between the secularist military and the Islamist Welfare Party. However, by the beginning of 1997, relations between the government and the military were increasingly strained, especially after a Welfare mayor of Sincan hosted the Iranian Ambassador who gave a speech in support of Sharia Law (See Jerusalem Meeting). The military subsequently displayed a show of strength by driving a tank convoy through Sincan a few days later.

After a nine-hour National Security Council meeting held on 28 February 1997, a set of demands were presented to the Refah-Yol government to combat what the military called İrtica (reactionarism). Çiller's relationship with the military completely broke down. She saw that the military was determined to overthrow the government, and recommended retiring the chief of staff and force commanders, but this which was blocked by a calmer Erbakan. Çiller and Akşener were successful in sacking the Chief of National Police and getting his replacement to wiretap high ranking generals of the Turkish Armed Forces. Upon one general learning of that he was being wiretaped by the Interior Ministry he allegedly threatened to "impale her like a goose."

With resignations of DYP ministers from the government and pressure from the military, Erbakan resigned, and the "post-modern coup" concluded on 30 June 1997. DYP and others expected to form a government under Çiller, but President Demirel disregarded the rotation agreement and asked ANAP leader Yılmaz to form the new government instead. While Erbakan's fall from power condemned his political career until the end of his life, Çiller's was also effectively over. Her maneuvers, political excuses, failed policies, and scandals made her very unpopular. Almost one-third of her party didn't join in voting with her against the confidence vote of Yılmaz's new government. 35 women's organizations took her to court because she lacked feminist principles. She was also criticized for undermining democracy and threatening journalists.

Fall from politics

Çiller was investigated by the Turkish Parliament on serious corruption charges and abuses of power following her period in government. Along with Mesut Yılmaz, she was later cleared of all charges mainly due to technicalities such as statute of limitations and parliamentary immunity. Near the end of 1998, the corruption files about Yılmaz and Çiller were covered up at the commissions of the parliament in a common action staged by DYP, ANAP and DSP MPs. In the 1999 general election she presented herself as a leader of the downtrodden and the religious, pausing her campaign speeches during the prayer of Adhan, or demanding that women with their headscarves on should attend university. Her party polled at only about 12%. She was still reelected DYP's chairwoman in a party conference later that year, and became Leader of the Main Opposition with the closure of Erbakan's Virtue Party and the split in the Milli Görüş movement.

Çiller's political career came to its end when her party narrowly failed to poll above the 10% threshold in the 2002 general election, thus receiving no representation in parliament despite her role as Leader of Main Opposition for more than two years. In a press conference she announced her retirement from politics, and was succeeded by Mehmet Ağar.

Later career

Tansu Çiller (age 69) and Oktay Vural (age 59) at Süleyman Demirel's funeral (18 June 2015)

Çiller is a member of the Council of Women World Leaders, an international network of current and former women presidents and prime ministers whose mission is to mobilize the highest-level women leaders globally for collective action on issues of critical importance to women and equitable development.

In 2018, Çiller attended a Justice and Development Party rally in support of Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's candidacy for that year's presidential election.

Personal life

In addition to Turkish, Çiller can speak English and German fluently. She has two children with her husband, Özer Uçuran Çiller who died of heart attack at his home in Yeniköy, İstanbul, on 1 June 2024, at the age of 86.

See also

References

  1. ^ Refugees, United Nations High Commissioner for. "Refworld | The Situation of the Kurds". Refworld. Archived from the original on 5 December 2020. Retrieved 2 October 2020.
  2. ^ "Tansu Ciller". 5 January 1996. Archived from the original on 21 October 2020. Retrieved 2 October 2020.
  3. "Tansu Çiller | Turkish prime minister and economist". Encyclopedia Britannica. Archived from the original on 23 July 2019. Retrieved 24 June 2020.
  4. Arat, Yeşim (1998) "A women prime minister in Turkey: did it matter?" Women & Politics, 19(4): 1-22; Jensen, Jane (2008) Women political leaders: breaking the highest glass ceiling New York, NY: Palgrave Macmillan, pp. 41-2, 131; Skard, Torild (2014) "Tansu Çiller" in Women of power - Half a century of female presidents and prime ministers worldwide, Bristol: Policy Press, ISBN 978-1-44731-578-0, pp. 392-3
  5. Arat, Yesim (1998) pp. 6-8; Bennett, Clinton (2010) "Tansu Ciller" in Moslem women of power, London: Continuum, pp. 110, 129; Cizre, Umit (2002) "Tansu Ciller: lusting for power and undermining democracy" in M. Heper and S. Sayari: Political leaders and democracy in Turkey, Lanham, MD, Oxford, Boulder, CO, and New York, NY: Lexington Books, pp. 201-2; Jensen (2008), p. 139; Skard (2014), pp. 393-4
  6. ^ Silverman, Reuben (21 June 2018). "Turkey's Back to the Future Opposition: Part One". Jadaliyya.
  7. Arat (1998), pp. 3, 9-10,12-14; Cizre (2002), pp. 206-7; Skard (2014), pp. 394-5
  8. Kinzer, Stephen (21 February 1999). "Turks vs. Kurds: Turning Point?". The New York Times. Retrieved 6 December 2021.
  9. Nezan, Kendal (5 July 1998). "Turkey's pivotal role in the international drug trade". Le Monde diplomatique. Archived from the original on 12 October 2007. Retrieved 21 May 2010.
  10. ^ Meyer, James H. (September 1997). "Turkey's Leaders - Çiller's Scandals". Middle East Quarterly.
  11. "Çiller seçti: Amerika". Radikal. 13 October 2002. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  12. Karabağlı, Hülya (9 October 2012). "'Çiller özel örgütü' iddiaları MİT raporunda var mı?". T24. Archived from the original on 11 July 2017.
  13. "Pangalos/Gr-Turk.Relations". hri.org. Archived from the original on 25 January 2012. Retrieved 26 April 2011.
  14. ^ ""Turkey Will Not Stay Spectator Towards Efforts to Divide Albania" - declares Tansu Çiller". hri.org. Archived from the original on 30 December 2010. Retrieved 26 April 2011.
  15. "Tansu Çiller İsrail". Milliyet. 1994. Archived from the original on 17 January 2019.
  16. Makovsky, Alan (3 November 1993). "Tansu Ciller in Israel: Pursuing Turkish-Israeli Partnership". The Washington Institute for Near East Policy.
  17. Arat (1998), p. 18; Cizre (2002), p. 213; Skard (2014), pp. 395-6
  18. Cop, Burak (28 February 2011). "28 Şubat'ta Ne Oldu?". Bianet. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015.
  19. Lucy Komisar, Turkey's terrorists: a CIA legacy lives on, The Progressive, April 1997.
  20. 1998 Report Archived 2008-10-03 at the Wayback Machine from the Human Rights Foundation of Turkey, chapter II, "SUSURLUK SCANDAL: Counter-guerilla Affairs", pp. 39–86 (see note on p. 39)
  21. Arat (1998), p. 18; Bennett (2010) pp. 113, 132, 135; Cizre (2002), p. 213; Skard (2014), pp. 395-6
  22. 1998 Report from the Human Rights Foundation of Turkey, p. 11.
  23. Wuthrich, F. Michael (28 July 2015). National Elections in Turkey: People, Politics, and the Party System. Syracuse University Press. p. 215. ISBN 9780815634126.
  24. Rubin, Barry; Heper, Metin (16 December 2013). Political Parties in Turkey. Routledge. p. 96. ISBN 9781135289386.
  25. "Tansu Ciller | Turkish prime minister and economist". Encyclopedia Britannica. Archived from the original on 23 July 2019. Retrieved 6 December 2017.
  26. United Nations Foundation (10 September 2015). "Council of Women World Leaders: Members". United Nations Foundation. Archived from the original on 10 September 2015. Retrieved 6 December 2017.
  27. Euronews; Anadolu Ajansı (17 June 2018). "Cumhurbaşkanı Erdoğan'ın Yenikapı mitingine Çiller desteği Access to the comments". Euronews. Archived from the original on 21 June 2020.
  28. "Tansu Çiller'in eşi Özer Uçuran Çiller hayatını kaybetti" [Tansu Çiller's husband Özer Uçuran Çiller passed away]. TRT News (in Turkish). 1 June 2024. Retrieved 1 June 2024.

External links

Party political offices
Preceded bySüleyman Demirel Leader of the True Path Party
1993–2002
Succeeded byMehmet Ağar
Political offices
Preceded bySüleyman Demirel Prime Minister of Turkey
1993–1996
Succeeded byMesut Yılmaz
Preceded byNahit Menteşe Deputy Prime Minister of Turkey
1996–1997
Succeeded byİsmet Sezgin
Preceded byEmre Gönensay Minister of Foreign Affairs
1996–1997
Succeeded byİsmail Cem
Turkey Prime ministers of Turkey
Government of the Grand
National Assembly

(1920–1923)
Republic of Turkey
(1923–2018)
Italics denote acting prime ministers.
Foreign ministers of Turkey
Leaders of the
Democrat Party/Justice Party/True Path Party/Democrat Party
Democrat Party
(1946–1960)
Justice Party
(1961–1981)
True Path Party
(1983–2007)
True Path Party (2007)
2007–present
Democrat Party
(2007–present)
Party leaders in Turkey
Before 1960
1960–80
1980–present
Categories: