Hikmet Çetin

Hikmet Çetin
NATO Senior Civilian Representative in Afghanistan
In office
19 November 2003 – 24 August 2006
Succeeded by Netherlands Daan W. Everts
20th Speaker of the Grand National Assembly
In office
16 October 1997 – 18 April 1999
President Süleyman Demirel
Preceded by Mustafa Kalemli
Succeeded by Yıldırım Akbulut
Leader of the Republican People's Party
In office
18 February 1995 – 9 September 1995
Preceded by Deniz Baykal
Succeeded by Deniz Baykal
Deputy Prime Minister of Turkey
In office
27 March 1995 – 5 October 1995
Prime Minister Tansu Çiller
Preceded by Murat Karayalçın
Succeeded by Deniz Baykal
In office
5 January 1978 – 12 November 1979
Prime Minister Bülent Ecevit
Served with Orhan Eyüboğlu
Faruk Sükan
Preceded by Turhan Feyzioğlu
Succeeded by Turgut Özal
29th Minister of Foreign Affairs
In office
21 November 1991 – 27 July 1994
Prime Minister Süleyman Demirel
Preceded by Safa Giray
Succeeded by Mümtaz Soysal
Member of the Grand National Assembly
In office
29 November 1987 – 18 April 1999
Constituency Gaziantep (1991, 1995)
Diyarbakır (1987)
In office
5 June 1977 – 12 September 1980
Constituency İstanbul (1977)
Personal details
Born 1937 (age 78–79)
Lice, Diyarbakır Province, Turkey
Nationality Turkish
Political party Republican People's Party (CHP)
Other political
affiliations		 Social Democratic Populist Party (SHP)
Alma mater Ankara University
Profession Economist
Religion Sunni Islam

Hikmet Çetin (born 1937 in Lice, Diyarbakır Province) is a Turkish politician former minister of foreign affairs and was leader of the Republican People's Party (CHP) for a short time. He served also as the Speaker of the Turkish Grand National Assembly.

Early life

He was born in Lice, a town in the southeastern Diyarbakır Province. After completing primary school in his hometown and high school in Ankara, he graduated in 1960 with a B.A. degree in Economics and Finance from Ankara University, School of Political Sciences.

After completing his education, Hikmet Çetin joined the State Planning Organization (Devlet Planlama Teşkilatı, DPT). Shortly after, he was sent abroad and also to the United States, where he received his M.A. in "Economics of development" from Williams College in Williamstown, Massachusetts, USA. In 1968, he did research work on "Planning models" at the Stanford University, California, USA. After returning home, he completed his military service in 1970 and worked as the head of Economics Planning Department at the DPT until 1977. During this time, he was a part-time lecturer at the Middle East Technical University in Ankara.

Political career

Hikmet Çetin stepped into politics in the 1977 general elections as deputy of Istanbul from the Republican People's Party (CHP). Between 1978 and 1979, he served as Minister of State and later as Deputy Prime Minister in the cabinet of the Prime Minister Bülent Ecevit. Following the 1980 military coup that banned the existing political parties, Hikmet Çetin became an advisor in planning to the Government of Yemen.

He returned to politics following his election to the parliament in 1987 as deputy of Diyarbakır from the Social Democratic Populist Party (Sosyal Demokrat Halkçı Parti, SHP), the successor of the banned Republican People's Party. He served in the board of SHP and became its Secretary General. Hikmet Çetin was elected in 1991 for the third time to Parliament as deputy of Gaziantep from SHP.

He was appointed in 1991 Minister of Foreign Affairs in the coalition cabinet of Prime Minister Süleyman Demirel. He kept his seat in the coalition cabinet of Tansu Çiller, who took over the government leadership from Demirel after his rise to the Presidency. Hikmet Çetin resigned from his post on July 27, 1994.

In 1995, the two left wing parties, SHP and CHP decided to merge, and their general assemblies agreed on the leadership of Hikmet Çetin. He was elected chairman on February 18, 1995. At the party convention held on September 9, 1995, he did not run for the chair of the Republican People's Party again and resigned.

Hikmet Çetin retook his seat in the Parliament in the 1995 general elections and was elected as the Speaker of the Parliament on October 16, 1997 and occupied this position until April 18, 1999.

Diplomatic duty

He was appointed on November 19, 2003 as NATO Secretary General's first Senior Civilian Representative in Afghanistan, the highest-level political representative of NATO in this country, where it has held the command of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) since August 11, 2003. On January 26, 2004, he took office in Kabul, and served two consecutive terms until August 24, 2006.[1]

After Politics

Çetin is also a Member of the Global Leadership Foundation (chaired by FW de Klerk) that works to support democratic leadership, prevent and resolve conflict through mediation and promote good governance in the form of democratic institutions, open markets, human rights and the rule of law. It does so by making available, discreetly and in confidence, the experience of former leaders to today’s national leaders. It is a not-for-profit organisation composed of former heads of government, senior governmental and international organization officials who work closely with heads of government on governance-related issues of concern to them.

Personal life

Hikmet Çetin is of Kurdish descent,[2] and is married to İnci Çetin, and they have two children.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Appointment of NATO Senior Civilian Representative in Afghanistan, 19 November 2003
  2. ↑ http://www.rusencakir.com/Turkiyenin-Kurt-Sorunu%E2%80%94-11/14. Hikmet Çetin de Kürt kökenlidir Missing or empty |title= (help)
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Hikmet Çetin.
Political offices
Preceded by
Necmettin Erbakan
Alparslan Türkeş		 Deputy Prime Minister of Turkey
Oct 3, 1978–Nov 12, 1979 		Succeeded by
Zeyyat Baykara
Turgut Özal
Preceded by
Safa Giray		 Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkey
Nov 21, 1991–Jul 27, 1994 		Succeeded by
Mümtaz Soysal
Preceded by
Murat Karayalçın		 Deputy Prime Minister of Turkey
Mar 27, 1995–Oct 5, 1995 		Succeeded by
Deniz Baykal
Preceded by
Mustafa Kalemli		 Speaker of the Parliament of Turkey
Oct 16, 1997–Apr 18, 1999 		Succeeded by
Yıldırım Akbulut
Party political offices
Preceded by
Deniz Baykal		 Leader of the Republican's People Party
Feb 18, 1995–Sep 9, 1995 		Succeeded by
Deniz Baykal
Diplomatic posts
Preceded by
newly established		 NATO Senior Civilian Representative in Afghanistan
Nov 19, 2003–Aug 24, 2006 		Succeeded by
Netherlands Daan W. Everts
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