Former Turkish first lady Nazmiye Demirel dies aged 86

ANKARA - Hürriyet Daily News

Süleyman and Nazmiye Demirel were married for 65 years. AA Photo

Nazmiye Demirel, the wife of former Turkish president Süleyman Demirel, has died at the age of 86.

Demirel died at Başkent Hospital in the Turkish capital Ankara on the evening of May 27. The cause of death was not immediately known, but her health condition had worsened in recent years, sources said.

She had been suffering from Alzheimers since 2005, daily Hürriyet reported on its website.

Former Turkish First Lady Demirel, who experienced exile as well as government, dies at 86

She married Süleyman Demirel on March 12, 1948, and she had many years of highs and lows with her husband, which included and being the “First Lady” and experiencing a period of exile.

The military authorities decided to send Nazmiye Demirel and her husband, who had been prime minister, to Hamzakoy in the western province of Çanakkale, after the Sept. 12, 1980 coup.

She was Turkey’s “First Lady” from May 16, 1993 to 2000, when Süleyman Demirel was elected to serve as the ninth president of the Turkish republic.