Ali Babacan facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ali Babacan
Leader of the Democracy and Progress Party
Incumbent
Assumed office 10 March 2020
Preceded by	Position established
Deputy Prime Minister of Turkey
In office 1 May 2009 – 28 August 2015
Prime Minister	Recep Tayyip Erdoğan Ahmet Davutoğlu
Serving with	Bülent Arınç Beşir Atalay Bekir Bozdağ Emrullah İşler Yalçın Akdoğan Numan Kurtulmuş
Preceded by	Nazım Ekren
Succeeded by	Cevdet Yılmaz
Minister of Foreign Affairs
In office 29 August 2007 – 1 May 2009
Prime Minister	Recep Tayyip Erdoğan
Preceded by	Abdullah Gül
Succeeded by	Ahmet Davutoğlu
Chief Negotiator for Turkish Accession to the European Union
In office 17 January 2005 – 11 January 2009
Prime Minister	Recep Tayyip Erdoğan
Preceded by	Position established
Succeeded by	Egemen Bağış
Minister of State Responsible for Economy
In office 18 November 2002 – 29 August 2007
Prime Minister	Abdullah Gül Recep Tayyip Erdoğan
Preceded by	Masum Türker
Succeeded by	Mehmet Şimşek
Member of the Grand National Assembly
In office 17 November 2015 – 16 May 2018
Constituency	Ankara (I) (Nov 2015)
In office 14 November 2002 – 23 April 2015
Constituency	Ankara (I) (2002, 2007, 2011)
Personal details
Born	(1967-04-04) 4 April 1967 (age 58) Ankara, Turkey
Political party	Justice and Development Party (2001–2019) Democracy and Progress Party (2020–present)
Spouse	Ülkü Zeynep Yurter ​ (m. 1995)​
Children	3
Alma mater	Middle East Technical University Northwestern University
Occupation	Politician economist engineer
Signature

Ali Babacan, born on April 4, 1967, is a Turkish politician, economist, and engineer. He is the person who started and now leads the Democracy and Progress Party (DEVA). From 2002 to 2015, he worked in important government roles. These included being the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Minister of Economy, Chief Negotiator for the EU, and Deputy Prime Minister of Turkey. He was also a member of the Turkish parliament.

He first became the Minister of State in charge of economic affairs in 2002. This was part of the 58th government formed by the Justice and Development Party (AKP). He kept this job through the 58th and 59th governments of Turkey. On August 29, 2007, he was made the Minister of Foreign Affairs. From 2009 to 2015, he served as the Deputy Prime Minister for Economic and Financial Affairs.

Ali Babacan was responsible for a big economic reform plan. This plan was supported by large loans from the IMF. Under his leadership, the Turkish economy got much better after two serious problems. He mostly focused on economic changes and stayed out of everyday political arguments. He acted more like an expert in his field.

In 2019, Babacan left the AKP. He said he had "deep differences" about the party's direction. In 2020, he started the Democracy and Progress Party (DEVA). DEVA later joined the Nation Alliance. This group is against the AKP and the Turkish president, Erdoğan.

Early Life and Education

Ali Babacan was born in Ankara, Turkey. He showed great promise from a young age.

His School Years

Ali Babacan finished TED Ankara College in 1985. He was the top student in his class. He then went to the Middle East Technical University (METU) in Ankara. In 1989, he earned a degree in Industrial Engineering. He achieved the highest possible grades.

Studying in the U.S.

Babacan traveled to the U.S. to continue his studies. He received a Fulbright Scholarship to help pay for his education. In 1992, he earned his MBA degree. This was from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois. He focused on marketing, how organizations work, and international business.

His Career in Finance

After his studies, Babacan worked for two years at QRM, Inc. in Chicago, Illinois. This company gave financial advice to leaders of big banks in the United States. He came back to Turkey in 1994. That same year, he worked as a chief advisor to the mayor of Ankara. From 1994 to 2002, he was the chairman of his family's textile company.

Political Career

Ali Babacan started his political journey in 2001. He was one of the people who helped create the Justice and Development Party. He was also a member of its board.

Minister of Economy and Foreign Affairs (2002–2015)

On November 3, 2002, he was elected to parliament. He represented the city of Ankara. On November 18, 2002, he became the Minister of Economy. At 35 years old, he was the youngest person in the government at that time.

On May 24, 2005, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan announced a new role for him. Babacan would be the chief negotiator for Turkey's talks to join the European Union. These talks began on October 3, 2005. As a government minister, Babacan attended many international meetings. These included the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, and meetings of the Bilderberg Group.

In 2019, Babacan decided to leave the ruling AKP. He explained that he had "deep differences" about the party's direction.

Leading the DEVA Party (2020–Present)

In late 2019, Babacan spoke with journalist Şirin Payzın. He confirmed his plan to form a new political party. He hoped his party would be a "mainstream party." This means it would appeal to a wide range of people. He wanted it to focus on the rights of minority groups. He also aimed for Turkey to return to a parliamentary system. This system gives more power to the parliament. He also wanted fair court processes and laws. Restoring freedom of speech and expression was another key goal. Babacan said that "the nation will give our party its name."

On March 9, 2020, he officially founded the Democracy and Progress Party. Its short name is "DEVA," which means "remedy" in Turkish. The DEVA Party held its first meeting on March 10, 2020. At this meeting, Ali Babacan was chosen as the Chairman by everyone present.

Personal Life

Ali Babacan is married and has three children. He can also speak English.

See also

In Spanish: Ali Babacan para niños