39 Facts About Deniz Baykal

Deniz Baykal was one of the leading members of the re-established CHP, which was founded again in 1992.

Deniz Baykal served as the party's leader until 1995, when the CHP and SHP merged during a convention.

Deniz Baykal was re-elected leader in September 1995, after which Baykal contested the 1995 general election and formed a coalition government with Tansu Ciller's True Path Party.

Deniz Baykal served concurrently as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs between 1995 and 1996.

Deniz Baykal became interim parliamentary Speaker for a second time on 17 November 2015 by virtue of being the oldest MP after the November 2015 general election.

Deniz Baykal was succeeded by the AKP MP Ismail Kahraman, who was elected Speaker on 22 November 2015.

Deniz Baykal was born to Huseyin Hilmi and Feride in Antalya.

Deniz Baykal was educated at the University of Ankara Faculty of Law.

Deniz Baykal later studied at the University of California, Berkeley and Columbia University as a Rockefeller scholar.

Deniz Baykal became an associate professor at the same faculty, where he lectured until 1973.

Deniz Baykal first became involved in politics during the 1950s, having taken part in student movements opposing the Democratic Party government of Adnan Menderes.

Deniz Baykal was noticed by senior officials of the CHP after writing a detailed analysis of the party's defeat in the 1965 general election, which would form the basis of his academic thesis that he submitted to become a docent.

Deniz Baykal became the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources in the third cabinet of Bulent Ecevit, which lasted from January 1978 to November 1979.

SODEP merged with the Populist Party in 1987 and Deniz Baykal was elected again as an MP from Antalya in 1987 general elections.

Deniz Baykal was elected to the second chair of the Social Democratic Populist Party as the General Secretary in 1988 and served as the party's parliamentary group leader.

Deniz Baykal stood as General secretary on 10 September 1990, after which he stood against the party's leader Erdal Inonu three times but failed to win on all occasions.

Deniz Baykal became the leader of the inner-party opposition to the leadership.

Deniz Baykal was elected as the leader of the party.

Deniz Baykal did not stand for the leadership in this convention, with Hikmet Cetin being elected leader of the newly enlarged CHP instead.

Deniz Baykal was re-elected as leader of the CHP during a convention in September 1995.

Deniz Baykal formed a coalition with the True Path Party, with DYP leader Tansu Ciller as Prime Minister.

Deniz Baykal subsequently became Deputy Prime Minister and the minister of Foreign Affairs.

Deniz Baykal subsequently resigned as leader and Altan Oymen was elected in his place.

Deniz Baykal subsequently became the leader of the opposition, leading the only opposition party in Parliament.

Deniz Baykal was instrumental in assisting the AKP change the law in order to allow the party's banned leader, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, to enter Parliament.

Deniz Baykal has always held his ground as a staunch supporter of a strong response to terrorism.

Deniz Baykal first joined the DSP, but later formed the Turkish Change Movement in 2009.

Deniz Baykal strongly protested the AKP's nomination of Abdullah Gul as their presidential candidate for the 2007 presidential election, owing to Gul's history in political Islam.

In January 2009, Deniz Baykal criticized the establishing of TRT 6, which broadcast in the Kurdish language as he didn't see a benefit for Turkey if it only addressed the ethnic demands of a certain group.

Deniz Baykal resigned from the leadership of CHP on 10 May 2010.

Deniz Baykal originally planned to run for the leadership again in the Ordinary Convention of 2010, since many members of the Central Executive Committee insisted that he retake his position as leader.

Deniz Baykal was re-elected as an MP in the 2011 and the June 2015 general election.

Deniz Baykal was the CHP's candidate to become the permanent Parliamentary Speaker for the 25th Parliament of Turkey.

Deniz Baykal was one of the five CHP politicians who were offered ministerial positions by Justice and Development Party leader Ahmet Davutoglu in August 2015.

Deniz Baykal subsequently declined Davutoglu's offer, as did the four other CHP MPs that had been offered ministerial positions.

Re-elected as an MP in the November 2015 general election, Deniz Baykal was the oldest MP in the newly elected 26th Parliament of Turkey and subsequently became interim Speaker of the Parliament on 17 November 2015.

Deniz Baykal was succeeded by Ismail Kahraman, the AKP's candidate for Speaker, who was elected on 22 November 2015 in the third round.

Deniz Baykal was found dead in his bed at 05:00 by his wife Olcay.

Deniz Baykal was buried in the Turkish State Cemetery in Ankara following the funeral service held at Ahmet Hamdi Akseki Mosque.