Key events of the year 2002

Constitutional Court decided to listen to the defense of AK Party and gave 15 days to the party to prepare its defense in the closure case against AK Party.

NOVEMBER 3

Early elections were held in the country. A total of 32,768,161 out of 41,407,027 electors cast votes. A total of 8,638,866 didn't cast votes in the elections. The rate of participation in the election has been 79.14 percent and this has been the lowest rate of participation of the last seven elections. The rate of participation in 1999 elections was 87.9 percent.
The number of the votes which the coalition parties that formed the 57th government got was 14.71 percent. Democratic Left Party (DSP) got 1.22 percent, Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) got 8.36 percent and the Motherland Party (ANAP) got 5.13 percent of the votes; while the True Path Party (DYP) got 9.54 percent and they could not join the parliament as they could not pass the ten percent threshold. Felicity Party got (SP) 2.49 percent, while New Turkey Party (YTP) got 1.15 percent of the votes.
Justice and Development Party (AK Party) which got 34.29 percent of the votes joined the parliament with 363 deputies, while Republican People's Party (CHP) which got 19.38 percent of the votes joined the parliament with 179 deputies.
Only two parties joined the parliament for the first time since 1954.
Nine independent deputies who totally got 1 percent also joined the parliament.

MHP leader Devlet Bahceli said in a news conference that the responsibility of MHP's getting less than ten percent in the elections belonged to him and that he decided to convene the MHP's great congress in the year 2003 in order to bring in a new administration to the party.

NOVEMBER 4

Motherland Party (ANAP) leader Mesut Yilmaz said that he decided to resign from ANAP leadership and active politics.

True Path Party (DYP) leader Tansu Ciller said that she would convene the congress of her party and that she would not run as candidate for leadership of the party.

Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit submitted the resignation of the government to President Ahmet Necdet Sezer.

NOVEMBER 5

DYP applied to the Higher Board of Election (YSK) requesting it to consider the votes of Democratic People's Party (DEHAP) in Nov. 3 elections as invalid.

Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal visited AK Party leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan and congratulated him due to the election results.

Freedom and Solidarity Party (ODP) leader Ufuk Uras said that he would resign from party leadership.

The warrant of arrest which was earlier issued in absentia for Fadil Akgunduz who was elected from Siirt province, was withdrawn.

NOVEMBER 6

SP deputy leaders Mehmet Bekaroglu and Numan Kurtulmus resigned from their posts due to election results.

Higher Board of Election (YSK) decided not to discuss the objection of DYP, which requested the Board to consider invalid the votes of DEHAP in the elections.

NOVEMBER 7

President Ahmet Necdet Sezer received Justice and Development (AK Party) leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal separately.
During the meeting, President Sezer congratulated Erdogan and Baykal for the success of their political parties in the general elections on November 3.
Following the meeting, Erdogan said that President Sezer wished the AK Party success in the new legislative year.
Meanwhile, Presidential Foreign Affairs Chief Advisor Tacan Ildem said that the issue of possible candidates for the prime ministry post was not brought onto agenda during the meeting.
Ildem added, ''it will be realistic to wait for the oath-taking ceremony at the parliament to designate the new prime minister. There is an authority given to the President by Article 109 of the Constitution. President Sezer will use this authority by holding consultations with the ruling political party.''

NOVEMBER 9

Justice and Development Party (AK Party) Central Decision-taking and Executive Board authorized its leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan to name a candidate for the prime ministry post.

During the Central Executive Board meeting of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), it was decided to cancel all party memberships and to hold the great congress on October 12, 2003.

As the investigation against him has been continuing on charges of corruption, Fadil Akgunduz who was elected as independent deputy from Siirt in the general elections on November 3, 2002, returned to Turkey.

NOVEMBER 15

President Ahmet Necdet Sezer received Justice and Development Party (AK Party) leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Following the meeting, Erdogan said, ''I submitted our candidates for the prime ministry post to President Sezer. He told me that he would designate the new prime minister as soon as possible after making necessary assessments.''

NOVEMBER 16

President Ahmet Necdet Sezer received Abdullah Gul, a deputy of the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) from Kayseri, and designated him to form the new government.

Justice and Development Party (AK Party) leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced the urgent action plan to be implemented by the government in the first year.

NOVEMBER 18

Abdullah Gul submitted the list of the 58th government including the prime minister and 24 ministers, to President Ahmet Necdet Sezer.
The Justice and Development Party (AK Party) government led by Abdullah Gul became the 13th government which came into power with a single party majority at the parliament in the history of the Republic.

Justice and Development Party (AK Party) leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan submitted his defense to the Constitutional Court.

NOVEMBER 19

Abdullah Gul took over the prime ministry post from Bulent Ecevit.

Bulent Arinc was elected as the new speaker of the parliament by getting 369 votes. Other candidate Onder Sav from the Republican People's Party (CHP) received 173 votes.

The 58th government held its first meeting under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Abdullah Gul.

Supreme Court of Appeals Chief Prosecutor Sabih Kanadoglu requested political immunity of Fadil Akgunduz, an independent deputy from Siirt, to be lifted.

NOVEMBER 20

Parliament Speaker Bulent Arinc and his wife Munevver Arinc wearing Islamic-style headscarf, attended the ceremony at Ankara's Esenboga Airport to see President Ahmet Necdet Sezer off to attend the summit meeting of heads of state and government of NATO countries in Czech Republic. Munevver Arinc's headscarf caused arguments.

Supreme Court of Appeals General Penal Council stressed that human rights included all rights without any discrimination, and therefore, torture was a crime against humanity.

In accordance with the decision taken at the first meeting of the 58th government, the road in front of the Prime Ministry Office was re-opened to traffic.

NOVEMBER 21

Upon discussions in the press, Parliament Speaker Bulent Arinc said, ''I believe that my wife's clothing was not contrary to the laws and the protocol rules.''

Mehmet Agar, an independent deputy from Elazig, joined the True Path Party (DYP).

NOVEMBER 22

The Council of State Administrative Case Offices General Board suspended enforcement of the decision of the Banking Regulation and Supervision Agency (BRSA) to transfer Pamukbank to the Savings Deposits Insurance Fund (SDIF).

NOVEMBER 23

Prime Minister Abdullah Gul submitted the 64-page government programme to the Parliamentary General Assembly.

NOVEMBER 26

The Constitutional Court annulled the arrangement envisaging curfew in general censuses.

Besim Tibuk resigned from Liberal Democrat Party (LDP) leadership upon results of the general elections on November 3, 2002.

NOVEMBER 27

Mesut Yilmaz put into practice his decision to leave Motherland Party (ANAP) leadership and active politics during the meeting of ANAP Central Decision-taking and Executive Board. Ekrem Pakdemirli was appointed as the acting leader of ANAP.

NOVEMBER 28

The 58th government led by Prime Minister Abdullah Gul got the vote of confidence of the parliament.

NOVEMBER 29

The National Security Council (NSC) stated that it supported latest attitude of President Rauf Denktas of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) about the Cyprus talks process.

Alaattin Cakici, a notorious mafia boss, was released from prison.

Next > December

^ Back to Top