Parliament ceremony honors former FM Yaşar Yakış

ANKARA

Turkish parliamentarians and dignitaries gathered on June 27 to pay tribute to Yaşar Yakış, a former foreign minister who passed away at the age of 85.

Among those in attendance were Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmuş and main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Özgür Özel.

Former parliament speakers Cemil Çiçek, Bülent Arınç and İsmet Yılmaz also paid their respects at the ceremony.

The ruling Justice and Development Party's (AKP) vice-chair Mustafa Elitaş, deputy leader Hayati Yazıcı and parliamentary leader Abdullah Güler, and former CHP leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu were among those who bid farewell to Yakış.

Kurtulmuş extended condolences to Yakış's family, while a reflection on Yakış's career was followed by a moment of prayer.

His body was transported to his hometown of the northern city of Düzce's Akçakoca, where he was laid to rest in the Osmaniye cemetery.

Born in 1938, Yakış began his diplomatic journey as vice consul at the Consulate General of Belgium-Antwerp. He went on to serve in key roles at Turkish embassies in Lagos, Rome and Damascus, as well as at the Permanent Representation to NATO in Brussels.

After retiring from the Foreign Ministry in 2001, Yakış entered politics as a founding member of the AKP. He was elected as an MP from in the 2002 general elections and subsequently appointed as foreign minister.