Aytekin Kotil (1934–1992) was a Turkish social democratic politician. He was the mayor of Istanbul being a pioneer in the municipal socialism in Turkey. He was also a member of the Turkish Parliament.
Aytekin Kotil | |
|---|---|
| Mayor of Istanbul | |
| In office December 1977 – 12 September 1980 | |
| Preceded by | Ahmet İsvan |
| Succeeded by | Hakkı Akansel |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 21 February 1934 Gündoğdu, Rize, Turkey |
| Died | 9 August 1992 (aged 58) Istanbul, Turkey |
| Resting place | Zincirlikuyu cemetery, Istanbul |
| Political party | Republican People's Party (until 12 September 1980) |
| Other political affiliations | Social Democratic Populist Party |
| Children | 3 |
| Alma mater | Istanbul University |
Early life and education
editKotil was born in Gündoğdu, Rize, on 21 February 1934.[1] He had three brothers.[1] He was a graduate of Vefa High School, Istanbul.[2] He received a degree in law from the law faculty of Istanbul University in 1960.[1]
Career
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Following his graduation Kotil worked as a lawyer in Istanbul.[1] He joined the Republican People's Party (CHP) and became active in the CHP's Istanbul organization.[3] He was part of a faction consisted of those party members from the Black Sea region.[4] The group was led by Ali Topuz and included Necdet Uğur, Orhan Eyüpoğlu, Tarhan Erdem and other leading figures in the party.[4] It was the earliest supporter of Bülent Ecevit against İsmet İnönü in the election of the CHP chairmanship in 1972.[4] Kotil and Ali Topuz were ardent followers of Bülent Ecevit's left of center movement.[4]
Kotil was named as the head of the CHP's Istanbul branch in 1973.[5] He was elected as the mayor of Istanbul in the local elections held on 11 December 1977, replacing Ahmet İsvan in the post.[1][6] His slogan in the election campaign was "reachable, not a speech- but a service-generating mayor."[6] He managed to obtain 56.05% of the votes.[6] Kotil adopted a socialist approach during his tenure.[7] His term ended in September 1980 immediately after the military coup.[5] Kotil's successor in the post was Hakkı Akansel, a military general.[1]
Kotil was elected to the Parliament in the 1987 general election from the Social Democratic Populist Party.[1] In the party Kotil and Ali Topuz supported the leadership of Deniz Baykal against Erdal İnönü.[8]
Personal life and death
editKotil married in 1961 and had three children.[1] He died of liver disease in Istanbul on 9 August 1992.[1] He was buried in the Zincirlikuyu cemetery, Şişli, Istanbul.[5]
Legacy
editA park in Bakırköy, Istanbul, was named after him in 1993.[1][9] In 2014 his biography was published in Turkish with the title Karadenizli Bir Politikacı: Aytekin Kotil (1934–1992).[10]
References
edit- ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Aytekin Kotil kimdir" (in Turkish). Biyografi. Retrieved 17 November 2022.
- ^ Süleyman Doğan (2010). "Model Institution Vefa High School, the First School to Teach in Turkish Medium". TURAN: Stratejik Arastirmalar Merkezi. 2 (8): 52. ProQuest 1038146350.
- ^ Kerem Hocaoğlu (2018). 1973 Seçimlerinde Cumhuriyet Halk Partisi (MA thesis) (in Turkish). Hacettepe University. p. 121.
- ^ a b c d Tunay Şendal (June 2020). "Cumhuriyet Halk Partisinde Ortanın Solu İle Başlayan Siyasal Metamorfoza Karşı İç Ve Dış Muhalefet". Tarih Ve Gelecek Dergisi (in Turkish). 6 (2): 294. doi:10.21551/jhf.731350. S2CID 225720184.
- ^ a b c Fatih Sultan Kar (31 January 2020). "Belediyeciliğin Babası Aytekin Kotil". Rizedeyiz (in Turkish). Retrieved 17 November 2022.
- ^ a b c Nebi Miş. "Istanbul Elections 1950-2014". Vol. 3. History of Istanbul. Retrieved 19 November 2022.
- ^ Hatice Kurtuluş; Şükrü Aslan (March 2016). "Üç şehir üç başkan: yeni liberal dönemde İstanbul, Ankara ve İzmir'de Sosyal Demokrat Belediyecilik Deneyimi". İ.Ü. Siyasal Bilgiler Fakültesi Dergisi (in Turkish) (54): 35.
- ^ Haldun Cancı (1992). Party Discipline Problem in the Social Democratic Populist Party (MA thesis). Bilkent University. p. 47. ISBN 979-8-209-97671-4. ProQuest 2652592351.
- ^ "Aytekin Kotil Parkı" (in Turkish). İBB. Retrieved 17 November 2022.
- ^ "Aytekin Kotil'in Biyografisi Anka Yayınları'ndan Çıktı". Haberler (in Turkish). 6 July 2014. Retrieved 17 November 2022.
External links
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Media related to Aytekin Kotil at Wikimedia Commons
