Binali Yıldırım facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Binali Yıldırım
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Yıldırım in 2016
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| 28th Speaker of the Grand National Assembly | |
| In office 12 July 2018 – 18 February 2019 |
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| President | Recep Tayyip Erdoğan |
| Deputy | Mustafa Şentop Levent Gök Mithat Sancar Celal Adan |
| Preceded by | İsmail Kahraman |
| Succeeded by | Mustafa Şentop |
| 27th Prime Minister of Turkey | |
| In office 24 May 2016 – 9 July 2018 |
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| President | Recep Tayyip Erdoğan |
| Deputy |
2016–2017
Nurettin Canikli
Mehmet Şimşek Numan Kurtulmuş Tuğrul Türkeş Veysi Kaynak 2017–2018
Bekir Bozdağ
Recep Akdağ Mehmet Şimşek Hakan Çavuşoğlu Fikri Işık |
| Preceded by | Ahmet Davutoğlu |
| Succeeded by | Position abolished |
| Parliamentary leader of the Justice and Development Party | |
| In office 24 May 2017 – 7 July 2018 |
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| Deputy | Mustafa Elitaş Naci Bostancı İlknur İnceöz Bülent Turan Mehmet Muş |
| Leader | Recep Tayyip Erdoğan |
| Preceded by | Doğan Kubat |
| Succeeded by | Naci Bostancı |
| Leader of the Justice and Development Party | |
| In office 22 May 2016 – 21 May 2017 |
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| Preceded by | Ahmet Davutoğlu |
| Succeeded by | Recep Tayyip Erdoğan |
| Minister of Transport, Maritime and Communication | |
| In office 24 November 2015 – 24 May 2016 |
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| Prime Minister | Ahmet Davutoğlu |
| Deputy | Yüksel Coşkunyürek |
| Preceded by | Feridun Bilgin |
| Succeeded by | Ahmet Arslan |
| In office 1 November 2011 – 25 December 2013 |
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| Prime Minister | Recep Tayyip Erdoğan |
| Deputy | Yahya Baş |
| Preceded by | Position established |
| Succeeded by | Lütfi Elvan |
| Minister of Transport | |
| In office 6 July 2011 – 1 November 2011 |
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| Prime Minister | Recep Tayyip Erdoğan |
| Preceded by | Habip Soluk |
| Succeeded by | Position abolished |
| In office 29 August 2007 – 8 March 2011 |
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| Prime Minister | Recep Tayyip Erdoğan |
| Preceded by | İsmet Yılmaz |
| Succeeded by | Habip Soluk |
| In office 18 November 2002 – 8 May 2007 |
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| Prime Minister | Abdullah Gül Recep Tayyip Erdoğan |
| Preceded by | Naci Kınacıoğlu |
| Succeeded by | İsmet Yılmaz |
| Member of the Grand National Assembly | |
| In office 1 November 2015 – 14 May 2023 |
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| Constituency | İzmir-I (Nov 2015, 2018) |
| In office 3 November 2002 – 7 June 2015 |
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| Constituency | Istanbul-I (2002) Erzincan (2007) İzmir-II (2011) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 20 December 1955 Kayıköy, Refahiye, Erzincan Province, Turkey |
| Political party | Justice and Development Party |
| Spouse |
Semiha Yıldırım
(m. 1976) |
| Children | 3 |
| Alma mater | Istanbul Technical University Malmö World Maritime University |
| Signature |  |
Binali Yıldırım (born 20 December 1955) is a Turkish politician. He served as the 27th and last Prime Minister of Turkey from 2016 to 2018. He was also the Speaker of the Grand National Assembly from 2018 to 2019. Before becoming Prime Minister, he was the leader of the Justice and Development Party (AKP) from 2016 to 2017.
Yıldırım led the Istanbul Fast Ferries Company (İDO) from 1994 to 2000. He then became a Member of Parliament for the AKP in 2002. He served as Minister of Transport for many years. During his time as minister, he oversaw big projects like Marmaray and new high-speed train lines. He also helped expand airports and roads in Turkey.
In 2014, he ran for Mayor of İzmir but did not win. He became a special advisor to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in 2014. In 2015, he was re-elected to Parliament and became Transport Minister again. In May 2016, he was chosen as the new leader of the AKP and became Prime Minister. His time as Prime Minister ended when the role was removed in 2018.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Binali Yıldırım was born in Refahiye, Erzincan Province, Turkey, on 20 December 1955. His first name, Binali, means "son of Ali" in Arabic. His last name, Yıldırım, means "lightning bolt".
His Background
Yıldırım's family background has been discussed often. He has mentioned having Kurdish roots at some political events. However, his cousin has said their family is not Kurdish. Some people believe he mentioned Kurdish ancestry to gain support from Kurdish voters. He has also said he is from Şanlıurfa, even though he is known to be from Erzincan. Authors have explored his family's history, suggesting they moved from different regions before settling in Erzincan.
His Schooling
Yıldırım studied Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering at Istanbul Technical University. He also earned his master's degree from the same university. He worked in various management roles in the Turkish shipping industry. He also received special training in Maritime Safety and Environmental Protection in Sweden. During his training, he spent six months working at ports in Scandinavia and Europe.
Leading Istanbul Fast Ferries (1994–2000)
After finishing his studies, Yıldırım became the director general of the Istanbul Fast Ferries Company (İDO). This was from 1994 to 2000, when Recep Tayyip Erdoğan was the Mayor of Istanbul. He worked to use sea travel more to help with traffic in Istanbul. He started new ferry routes and helped build many ferry terminals. Under his leadership, İDO became a very large maritime transportation company. In 1999, he received an award for helping to modernize sea travel and tourism. He left this job after some questions were raised about his work.
Starting in Politics
As the head of İDO, Yıldırım became close with Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. When Erdoğan helped start a new political party in 2001, Yıldırım joined him. He became a founding member of the Justice and Development Party (AKP). He then ran for Parliament in Istanbul in the 2002 election. He was elected when the AKP won a big victory.
Member of Parliament
Yıldırım was first elected as a Member of Parliament for Istanbul in the 2002 general election. He was re-elected in 2007, representing his home province of Erzincan.
In the 2011 election, Yıldırım was elected for a third time from İzmir. Because of the AKP's rule that MPs could only serve three terms, he could not run again in the June 2015 election. However, he was re-elected to Parliament from İzmir in the November 2015 election.
On February 18, 2019, Yıldırım announced he would resign as Speaker of the Turkish Parliament. He did this to run for Mayor of Istanbul in the local elections.
Minister of Transport, Maritime, and Communication
Binali Yıldırım was known as the AKP's "unchanging Transport Minister." He served almost continuously for 11 years in this role. He was Minister of Transport from November 2002 to November 2011. In November 2011, the areas of maritime and communications were added to his ministry. He became the first Minister of Transport, Maritime and Communication. He left this role in 2013 but was reappointed in November 2015.
Yıldırım has stated that during his time as Minister, many new motorways, airports, and high-speed railways were built.
Expanding the Rail Network
In 2003, the government started Turkey's first high-speed rail project. Yıldırım oversaw the start of construction for the first part of this project in 2004. This line, between Ankara and Eskişehir, opened in 2009. It allowed trains to travel faster. The line was later extended to Istanbul. Construction also began on the Ankara–Konya high-speed railway in 2006, which opened in 2011.
The Transport Ministry aimed to build over 10,000 kilometers (about 6,200 miles) of high-speed lines by 2023. This was part of the AKP's "2023 vision" for Turkey's 100th anniversary.
Yıldırım also opened several city and suburban rail systems. These included the Istanbul Kabataş–Taksim funicular in 2006 and the İzmir commuter rail in 2010. In 2013, the first part of the Marmaray project opened. This project connects Europe and Asia through a tunnel under the Bosphorus in Istanbul.
Growing Aviation
Yıldırım led a plan to greatly improve airports that were not in good condition. Many airports were closed for upgrades and then reopened. For example, the Tokat, Kahramanmaraş, and Sivas airports reopened in 2006. New international and domestic terminals were also opened at İzmir Adnan Menderes Airport.
Many new airports were built or finished during his time as Minister. These included Hatay Airport in 2007 and Gazipaşa Airport in 2010. He was also involved in the early stages of the Istanbul Airport project, which opened in 2018. This airport is one of the largest in the world.
Maritime Projects
One major project was the plan for a new artificial waterway called Kanal Istanbul. This waterway would connect the Black Sea to the Aegean Sea, running next to the Bosphorus. Former Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan called it the party's "crazy project." It was a big goal for the party's "2023 vision."
Yıldırım announced plans for this project in 2009, and it was officially launched in 2011. By 2016, five possible routes for the project had been found.
He also oversaw improvements to existing waterways and ferry services. İzmir received new ferries, and a new ferry terminal opened at Tuzla.
Later Political Career
Advisor to Erdoğan (2014–2015)
After leaving his role as Transport Minister in 2013, Yıldırım became an advisor to the AKP leader, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. When Erdoğan became President of Turkey in 2014, Yıldırım became a special advisor to the President. He was seen as one of Erdoğan's closest and most loyal supporters.
Running for İzmir Mayor
| Local election 2014: İzmir Metropolitan Mayor | ||||
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| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
| CHP | Aziz Kocaoğlu  |
1,307,501 | 49.6 | |
| AKP | Binali Yıldırım | 947,108 | 35.9 | |
| MHP | Murat Taşer | 210,124 | 8.0 | |
| HDP | Osman Özçelik | 88,375 | 3.4 | |
| Others | 82,760 | 3.1 | ||
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Turnout
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2,635,868
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90.4
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In the 2014 local elections, Yıldırım ran for Mayor of İzmir. İzmir is a strong area for the opposition Republican People's Party (CHP). He campaigned with the slogan "İzmir needs a good Minister" and proposed 35 projects for the city.
Despite his efforts, Yıldırım lost the election to the CHP candidate, Aziz Kocaoğlu. Kocaoğlu won 49.6% of the votes, while Yıldırım received 35.9%. After the election, Yıldırım praised the AKP's gains in other local areas of İzmir.
Prime Minister (2016–2018)
Binali Yıldırım was known as a very loyal supporter of Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. He was seen as a Prime Minister who would work to change Turkey's government system. The goal was to move from a parliamentary system to an executive presidency. This would give more power to the President.
Yıldırım was described as a "technocrat" with strong loyalty to Erdoğan. This was different from the previous Prime Minister, Ahmet Davutoğlu. Yıldırım was expected to focus on carrying out policies, with Erdoğan guiding the government's direction.
When he announced his cabinet, it was noted that all the ministers were loyal to Erdoğan. This cabinet was sometimes called the "Presidential Cabinet." Yıldırım's government won the approval of Parliament on May 29, 2016.
Yıldırım was the first Prime Minister in 20 years to have an engineering background. The last one was Necmettin Erbakan, who served from 1996 to 1997.
Ahmet Davutoğlu's Resignation
On May 5, 2016, Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu announced he would step down as AKP leader. This happened after rumors that his relationship with President Erdoğan had become difficult. They had disagreements about Erdoğan's wish for an executive presidency.
Becoming AKP Leader
After Davutoğlu's resignation, Yıldırım became the top choice to be the next leader. On May 19, 2016, he was announced as the only candidate for the Justice and Development Party leadership. He was elected without opposition on May 22, 2016. He received 1,405 out of 1,411 votes.
Executive Presidency and New Constitution
After becoming Prime Minister on May 24, 2016, Yıldırım stated his government's main goal. It was to change the government system to an executive presidency. This change would need many votes in Parliament to either hold a public vote (referendum) or pass directly. Yıldırım said that because the President was now elected by the people, it caused confusion. This meant a change to an executive presidency was needed.
Yıldırım also announced that his government would start working on a new constitution quickly. He said the current Constitution of Turkey, written after a military takeover in 1980, was old. He asked opposition parties to work with the AKP to write a new constitution together.
Economic Plans
To handle economic challenges, Yıldırım gave economic policy roles to ministers trusted by the financial sector. Mehmet Şimşek remained Deputy Prime Minister for the economy. Naci Ağbal stayed as Minister of Finance. This showed that the new government would focus on investing in transport infrastructure.
Foreign Policy
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Soon after becoming Prime Minister, Yıldırım outlined his government's foreign policy. He said that problems in the region made Turkey's role as a regional power more important. He aimed to increase the number of Turkey's allies and reduce its enemies. This was seen as an effort to improve Turkey's relationships with other countries.
European Union
After Yıldırım became AKP leader, the European Union congratulated him. They asked his government to work on a migrant deal agreed upon earlier. On May 25, 2016, Yıldırım stated that Turkey was meeting all requirements for EU membership. However, he felt Turkey was facing unfair treatment. He urged the EU to stop its "double standards" against Turkey.
Yıldırım also called on the EU to keep its promise to allow Turkish citizens to travel to EU countries without a visa. The EU said Turkey needed to change its anti-terrorism laws first. This condition was strongly opposed by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
Germany and Historical Events
On June 2, 2016, the German Parliament voted to recognize certain historical events involving Armenians in 1915 as a genocide. Before the vote, Prime Minister Yıldırım had warned German Chancellor Angela Merkel that this decision would harm relations between the two countries.
In response, Turkey took steps similar to those taken against other countries that had recognized the events. The Turkish Ambassador in Berlin was called back to Turkey. The German Ambassador to Turkey was also called to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Yıldırım stated that Turkey was not ashamed of any past historical event. He called the German decision "faulty" and said Turkey would not accept it.
Russia
Yıldırım announced plans to improve relations with Russia. Relations between Turkey and Russia had worsened in November 2015 after Turkey shot down a Russian fighter jet. This also affected economic ties. The new government aimed to "normalize" economic relations with Russia.
Some Russian officials believed that a new Prime Minister would not change relations much. They thought Recep Tayyip Erdoğan was the main decision-maker in Turkey.
Personal Life
Yıldırım has been married to Semiha Yıldırım, a retired teacher, since 1976. They have three children: Erkan, Ahmet, and Baran. A primary school in Istanbul was named after his wife, "Öğretmen Semiha Yıldırım İlkokulu." It opened on November 24, 2012. Semiha Yıldırım is also involved with the Justice and Development Party. Yıldırım speaks Turkish, English, and French.
On October 21, 2022, he was hurt in a road accident while visiting Azerbaijan and was taken to a hospital in Baku.
Awards and Honours
Yıldırım has received honorary doctorates from several Turkish universities. He also received honorary doctorates from the World Maritime University in Malmö and Technische Universität Berlin.
- 2006: Honorary Doctorate by the Girne American University, Kyrenia, Northern Cyprus (20 July)
- 2009: Honorary Doctorate by the Ondokuz Mayıs University, Samsun (19 June)
- 2010: Honorary Doctorate by the Cumhuriyet University, Sivas (7 May)
- 2010: Honorary Doctorate by the Bozok University, Yozgat (29 September)
- 2011: Honorary Doctorate by the Anadolu University, Eskişehir (28 February)
- 2011: Honorary Doctorate by the Erzincan University (12 September)
- 2011: Honorary Doctorate by the Kırklareli University (20 September)
- 2011: Honorary Doctorate by Technische Universität Berlin (23 December)
- 2012: Honorary Doctorate by the Pamukkale University, Denizli (6 June)
- 2012: Honorary Doctorate by the World Maritime University, Malmö (2 December)
- 2013: Honorary Doctorate by the Okan University, Istanbul (22 March)
- 2019: Honorary Doctorate by the Yalova University, Yalova (11 October)
Images for kids
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Yıldırım with other cabinet ministers during a state visit by Russian President Dmitry Medvedev to Turkey in 2010
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Yıldırım with Russian President Vladimir Putin, 6 December 2016
See also
In Spanish: Binali Yıldırım para niños
