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Turkey Mourns Death of Former PM, Bulent Ecivit

The Turkish nation showed an outpouring of grief for the loss of poet, journalist and politician, Bulent Ecivit. Ecivit, 81, died in Ankara earlier this week, six months after collapsing into a stroke-induced coma. His political career spanned 50 years and he was instrumental in bringing about sweeping changes in his country?s laws and economy. Many credit Ecivit for Turkey?s induction into the European Union.

Ecivit was born in 1925 and very soon followed in the footsteps of his father, a member of the Turkish parliament. After a stint as press officer in the Turkish Embassy in London, Ecivit returned home in 1957 to become the youngest Member of Parliament. He became the first left-winger in Turkish history to become Prime Minister in 1972, triggering a glorious political career that saw him achieve this title four more times. Ecivit was finally defeated in 2002.

Bulent Ecivit was best recognized for his honesty, fairness and strong sense of ethics and was deeply respected by his fellow Turks for these traits. He managed to combine a deep sense of nationalism and Turkish pride with ideals of democracy and social equality. Ecivit was also a strong secularist who supported the separation of state and religion. Former Turkish Foreign Minister, Hikmet Cetin said: ?We lost a giant from our political life who had very high ethical values, and an unforgettable guardian of our democracy and our secular republic."