Suleyman Demirel passes away

The ninth President of Turkey, Suleyman Demirel, who was hospitalized as his health sharply deteriorated on May 13, has died on Wednesday night.

Demirel was one of the founders of the Justice and Development Party (AKP). Despite being hit with a ban from all political activity after the 1980 intervention, he returned to head the government and then became Turkish president in 1993 following the death of his predecessor Turgut Özal, serving his full term until 2000.