Tansu Çiller facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Tansu Çiller
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Çiller in 1994
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| 22nd Prime Minister of Turkey | |
| In office 25 June 1993 – 6 March 1996 |
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| President | Süleyman Demirel |
| Deputy | Murat Karayalçın Hikmet Çetin Deniz Baykal |
| Preceded by | Süleyman Demirel |
| Succeeded by | Mesut Yılmaz |
| Deputy Prime Minister of Turkey | |
| In office 28 June 1996 – 30 June 1997 |
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| Prime Minister | Necmettin Erbakan |
| Preceded by | Nahit Menteşe |
| Succeeded by | İsmet Sezgin |
| Minister of Foreign Affairs | |
| In office 28 June 1996 – 30 June 1997 |
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| Prime Minister | Necmettin Erbakan |
| Preceded by | Emre Gönensay |
| Succeeded by | İsmail Cem |
| Minister of State (Responsible for Economy) |
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| In office 21 November 1991 – 25 June 1993 |
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| Prime Minister | Süleyman Demirel |
| Leader of the True Path Party | |
| In office 13 June 1993 – 14 December 2002 |
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| Preceded by | Süleyman Demirel |
| Succeeded by | Mehmet Ağar |
| Member of the Grand National Assembly | |
| In office 20 October 1991 – 3 November 2002 |
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| Constituency | Istanbul (1991, 1995, 1999) |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Tansu Penbe Çiller
24 May 1946 Istanbul, Turkey |
| Political party | True Path Party |
| Spouse |
Özer Uçuran
(m. 1963; died 2024) |
| Children | 2 |
| Alma mater | Robert College University of New Hampshire University of Connecticut Yale University |
| Signature |  |
Tansu Çiller (born 24 May 1946) is a Turkish academic, economist, and politician. She made history as Turkey's first and only female prime minister. She served as the 22nd Prime Minister of Turkey from 1993 to 1996. Later, she was also Deputy Prime Minister of Turkey and Minister of Foreign Affairs between 1996 and 1997. She was the leader of the True Path Party for many years.
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Early Life and Education
Tansu Çiller was born in Istanbul, Turkey. She was the only child of her parents. Her father, Necati Çiller, was a journalist and a governor.
She attended the American College for Girls in Istanbul. After that, she studied Economics at Robert College Yüksek, which is now Boğaziçi University. She then went to the United States for her graduate studies. She earned degrees from the University of New Hampshire and the University of Connecticut. She also completed advanced studies at Yale University.
After her studies, Çiller taught economics at Franklin and Marshall College in Pennsylvania. In 1978, she became a lecturer at Boğaziçi University in Istanbul. By 1983, she was a professor there. She also led a bank called Istanbul Bank.
Start of Her Political Journey
Çiller became well-known for her economic studies. She often shared her thoughts on Turkey's economy. She also worked as a consultant for the Mayor of Istanbul for a short time.
In 1991, she joined the True Path Party (DYP). She quickly became an important member, focusing on economic matters. She was elected to parliament as a deputy from Istanbul in the 1991 election. The DYP won the election and formed a government with another party.
Prime Minister Süleyman Demirel appointed Çiller as a Minister of State. She was in charge of the country's economy.
Becoming Prime Minister
In 1993, President Turgut Özal passed away. Prime Minister Demirel was then elected as the new President. This left the position of Prime Minister and leader of the DYP open.
Tansu Çiller became the new leader of the True Path Party. On 25 June 1993, she became the first and only female Prime Minister of Turkey. She continued the coalition government with the Social Democrat Populist Party.
As Prime Minister
As Prime Minister, Çiller focused on making Turkey's economy stronger. She introduced important economic changes known as the "5 April Decisions." These changes helped Turkey get funding from the IMF.
National Security and Conflict
During her time as Prime Minister, there was an ongoing conflict between the Turkish Armed Forces and the PKK. Çiller worked to improve Turkey's national defense. She helped modernize the Turkish Army.
Her government successfully convinced the United States and the European Union to label the PKK as a terrorist group. However, her government also faced criticism regarding human rights. Some reports documented the destruction of villages and killings of civilians during this period.
Economic Challenges and Agreements
After local elections in 1994, Turkey faced economic problems. There was a lot of money leaving the country. This caused the Turkish currency, the Turkish lira, to weaken. Her government had to take steps to fix the economy.
In 1995, her government signed the EU-Turkey Customs Union agreement. This agreement helped improve trade between Turkey and the European Union.
Foreign Relations
Çiller was the first Turkish Prime Minister to visit Israel. She also met with Yasser Arafat, the leader of the Palestinian people.
In January 1996, there was a disagreement with neighboring Greece over some small islands. Çiller's government took a strong stance during this time.
Later Political Career
After the 1995 general election, Çiller's party did not win as many votes as before. She remained Prime Minister for a while. In 1996, she formed a new government with Necmettin Erbakan's Welfare Party. In this new government, Çiller served as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs.
Susurluk Incident
In 1996, a car crash led to the Susurluk scandal. This scandal showed connections between government officials, security services, and organized crime groups. This event caused a lot of public debate and led to protests.
Government Changes
The coalition government with the Welfare Party faced challenges. There were growing tensions with the military. The military was concerned about the government's commitment to secularism (keeping religion separate from government).
In February 1997, the military presented a list of demands to the government. This led to the resignation of the Prime Minister. Çiller's party then lost more support in the 1999 general election.
End of Her Political Journey
In the 2002 general election, Çiller's party did not get enough votes to have representatives in parliament. This led to her resignation as party leader. She then decided to retire from active politics.
After Politics
Tansu Çiller is a member of the Council of Women World Leaders. This group brings together women who have been presidents or prime ministers. They work together on important issues for women and global development.
In 2018, Çiller attended a political rally to support Recep Tayyip Erdoğan for president.
Personal Life
Tansu Çiller speaks Turkish, English, and German fluently. She has two children with her husband, Özer Uçuran Çiller. Her husband passed away in June 2024.
See also
In Spanish: Tansu Çiller para niños
- Türkan Akyol
- Women in Turkish politics
- Female political leaders in Islam and in Muslim-majority countries
