Mehmet Ali Irtemçelik
Encyclopedia
Mehmet Ali İrtemçelik is the previous ambassador
of the Republic of Turkey to Germany
. He has also served as member of parliament
in the Grand National Assembly of Turkey
and as a minister of state
in the Council of Ministers of Turkey. He graduated from Galatasaray High School and Bosporus University, both in Istanbul, Turkey.
, United States
(1977–1980, as second Attaché
and head Attaché in the Embassy of Turkey in Kabul
, Afghanistan
(1980–1982), as head of section in the Multilateral Relations Bureau in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
in Ankara
, Turkey (1982–1984), as Attaché and Director in the Permanent Representation of Turkey to the United Nations
(1984–1988), as a consultant to the Minister of Foreign Affairs between 1988-1991 (with the title of ambassador from 1989 onwards) and as a consultant to the Prime Minister
in 1991. He became the youngest ambassador in the history of the Republic of Turkey when he was given that title in 1989 when he was thirty-nine years old.
He was the Turkish ambassador in Amman
, Jordan
between November 29, 1991 and July 31, 1995, and in Sofia
, Bulgaria
between July 31, 1995 and November 3, 1997. After his ambassadorship to Sofia terminated, he served as the assistant Director in the Bilateral Political Relations Bureau of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs until January 11, 1999.
as head of list from the Motherland Party
( - ANAP) from the third circonscription of Istanbul (covering all of the Asian side of the city) on April 18, 1999. He served as the Minister of State for European Union
affairs and Human Rights
issues between May 27, 1999 and May 6, 2000 while serving as the government spokesman during the same period. During his tenure as member of parliament, he served in the parliament's Foreign Relations Committee and in the Turkish delegation to the European Council
's Assembly of Members of Parliament. After falling out with his former classmate from high school and party leader, Mesut Yılmaz
, as well as with then-Prime Minister Bülent Ecevit
after having accused him of not respecting, and trying to tinker with, the Constitution before the presidential elections of 2000, he resigned on May 6, 2000, both from his party and the government to become an independent in the parliament. He did not seek re-election in 2002
and returned to diplomatic service when was appointed the Turkish ambassador to Germany by the government of Recep Tayyip Erdoğan
on October 16, 2003. He is currently serving at the Foreign Ministry.
He is fluent both in French
(having attended French-taught Galatasaray High School) as well as in English
(having attended English-taught Bosporus University). He is married and has three children.
Ambassador
An ambassador is the highest ranking diplomat who represents a nation and is usually accredited to a foreign sovereign or government, or to an international organization....
of the Republic of Turkey to Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. He has also served as member of parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
in the Grand National Assembly of Turkey
Grand National Assembly of Turkey
The Grand National Assembly of Turkey , usually referred to simply as the Meclis , is the unicameral Turkish legislature. It is the sole body given the legislative prerogatives by the Turkish Constitution. It was founded in Ankara on 23 April 1920 in the midst of the Turkish War of Independence...
and as a minister of state
Minister of State
Minister of State is a title borne by politicians or officials in certain countries governed under a parliamentary system. In some countries a "minister of state" is a junior minister, who is assigned to assist a specific cabinet minister...
in the Council of Ministers of Turkey. He graduated from Galatasaray High School and Bosporus University, both in Istanbul, Turkey.
Diplomatic career
He started his diplomatic career on March 4, 1975. He has served as Assistant Consul in the Consulate General of Turkey in ChicagoChicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
(1977–1980, as second Attaché
Attaché
Attaché is a French term in diplomacy referring to a person who is assigned to the diplomatic or administrative staff of a higher placed person or another service or agency...
and head Attaché in the Embassy of Turkey in Kabul
Kabul
Kabul , spelt Caubul in some classic literatures, is the capital and largest city of Afghanistan. It is also the capital of the Kabul Province, located in the eastern section of Afghanistan...
, Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
(1980–1982), as head of section in the Multilateral Relations Bureau in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Turkey)
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is a government ministry office of the Republic of Turkey, responsible for foreign affairs in Turkey. Professor Ahmet Davutoğlu is current Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkey, appointed on May 1, 2009....
in Ankara
Ankara
Ankara is the capital of Turkey and the country's second largest city after Istanbul. The city has a mean elevation of , and as of 2010 the metropolitan area in the entire Ankara Province had a population of 4.4 million....
, Turkey (1982–1984), as Attaché and Director in the Permanent Representation of Turkey to the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
(1984–1988), as a consultant to the Minister of Foreign Affairs between 1988-1991 (with the title of ambassador from 1989 onwards) and as a consultant to the Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Turkey
The Prime Minister of the Turkey is the head of government in Turkish politics. The prime minister is the leader of a political coalition in the Turkish parliament and the leader of the cabinet....
in 1991. He became the youngest ambassador in the history of the Republic of Turkey when he was given that title in 1989 when he was thirty-nine years old.
He was the Turkish ambassador in Amman
Amman
Amman is the capital of Jordan. It is the country's political, cultural and commercial centre and one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. The Greater Amman area has a population of 2,842,629 as of 2010. The population of Amman is expected to jump from 2.8 million to almost...
, Jordan
Jordan
Jordan , officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan , Al-Mamlaka al-Urduniyya al-Hashemiyya) is a kingdom on the East Bank of the River Jordan. The country borders Saudi Arabia to the east and south-east, Iraq to the north-east, Syria to the north and the West Bank and Israel to the west, sharing...
between November 29, 1991 and July 31, 1995, and in Sofia
Sofia
Sofia is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria and the 12th largest city in the European Union with a population of 1.27 million people. It is located in western Bulgaria, at the foot of Mount Vitosha and approximately at the centre of the Balkan Peninsula.Prehistoric settlements were excavated...
, Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
between July 31, 1995 and November 3, 1997. After his ambassadorship to Sofia terminated, he served as the assistant Director in the Bilateral Political Relations Bureau of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs until January 11, 1999.
Political career and return to diplomatic service
However, he left his diplomatic career to get into politics, and was electedTurkish general election, 1999
Turkey's 14th general election was held on Sunday April 18, 1999 and was the first election in Turkish history to combine local, council and parliamentary elections on the same day. Bülent Ecevit's Democratic Left Party , soaring in popularity after the capture of PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan,...
as head of list from the Motherland Party
Motherland Party (Turkey)
The Motherland Party, was a political party in Turkey. It was founded in 1983 by Turgut Özal. It was merged to Democratic Party in October 2009...
( - ANAP) from the third circonscription of Istanbul (covering all of the Asian side of the city) on April 18, 1999. He served as the Minister of State for European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
affairs and Human Rights
Human rights in Turkey
Human rights in Turkey are theoretically protected by a variety of international law treaties, which take precedence over domestic legislation, according to Article 90 of the 1982 Constitution....
issues between May 27, 1999 and May 6, 2000 while serving as the government spokesman during the same period. During his tenure as member of parliament, he served in the parliament's Foreign Relations Committee and in the Turkish delegation to the European Council
European Council
The European Council is an institution of the European Union. It comprises the heads of state or government of the EU member states, along with the President of the European Commission and the President of the European Council, currently Herman Van Rompuy...
's Assembly of Members of Parliament. After falling out with his former classmate from high school and party leader, Mesut Yılmaz
Mesut Yilmaz
Ahmet Mesut Yılmaz is the former leader of the Motherland Party and was the Turkish prime minister in the 1990s.Mesut Yılmaz was a rising star in the Motherland Party of Turgut Özal, representing the Black Sea province of Rize in the parliament and serving as tourism minister in Ozal's cabinet...
, as well as with then-Prime Minister Bülent Ecevit
Bülent Ecevit
Mustafa Bülent Ecevit was a Turkish politician, poet, writer and journalist, who was the leader of Republican People's Party , later of the Democratic Left Party and four-time Prime Minister of Turkey.- Personal life :...
after having accused him of not respecting, and trying to tinker with, the Constitution before the presidential elections of 2000, he resigned on May 6, 2000, both from his party and the government to become an independent in the parliament. He did not seek re-election in 2002
Turkish general election, 2002
Turkey's 15th general election was held on November 3, 2002 following the collapse of the DSP-MHP-ANAP coalition led by Bülent Ecevit. It was won by the Justice and Development Party , led by Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, producing a crushing majority in spite of their winning just 34.3% of the national vote...
and returned to diplomatic service when was appointed the Turkish ambassador to Germany by the government of Recep Tayyip Erdoğan
Recep Tayyip Erdogan
Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has been Prime Minister of Turkey since 2003 and is chairman of the ruling Justice and Development Party , which holds a majority of the seats in the Grand National Assembly of Turkey. Erdoğan served as Mayor of Istanbul from 1994 to 1998. He graduated in 1981 from Marmara...
on October 16, 2003. He is currently serving at the Foreign Ministry.
He is fluent both in French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
(having attended French-taught Galatasaray High School) as well as in English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
(having attended English-taught Bosporus University). He is married and has three children.
See also
- Politics of TurkeyPolitics of TurkeyPolitics of Turkey takes place in a framework of a strictly secular parliamentary representative democratic republic, whereby the Prime Minister of Turkey is the head of government, and of a multi-party system...
- Foreign relations of TurkeyForeign relations of TurkeyForeign relations of the Republic of Turkey are the Turkish government's policies in its external relations with the international community...
- Turkish general election, 1999Turkish general election, 1999Turkey's 14th general election was held on Sunday April 18, 1999 and was the first election in Turkish history to combine local, council and parliamentary elections on the same day. Bülent Ecevit's Democratic Left Party , soaring in popularity after the capture of PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan,...
- List of Turkish diplomats