Former Turkish PM Ecevit dies of illness

Former Turkish Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit died at the hospital late on Sunday after nearly six months in a coma following a stroke, the Anatolia news agency reported on Monday.

Ecevit was admitted in the Gulhane Military Hospital (GATA) in the capital Ankara on May 18 after suffering a stroke, said the report, adding that he underwent a brain surgery due to hemorrhage, and was in an induced coma since then.

Ecevit was born in Istanbul, the country's largest city, on May 28, 1925. He graduated from the Istanbul American College in 1944 and married his classmate Rahsan Ecevit (Aral) in 1946.

Ecevit was elected as the secretary general of the Republican People's Party (CHP) in 1966 and the leader of the party in 1972. Following a military coup on Sept. 12, 1980, Ecevit quit the CHP leadership.

In 1987, he became the leader of Democratic Left Party (DSP) just after the political ban imposed on politicians was removed.

Ecevit acted as the minister of labor between 1961-1965. In 1977 he formed a minority government but could not get a vote of confidence from the parliament.

In 1997, Ecevit acted as Deputy Prime Minister and State Minister in the 55th government. He became the prime minister for two times in 1999 when he formed the 56th and 57th Turkish government.

On May 4, 2002, Ecevit got sick and was hospitalized.

Many lawsuits were filed against him on charges that he was opposing the military rule after the Sept. 12 coup in 1980.

He was also sentenced to imprisonment three times during his political career.

Source: Xinhua