 |
Yasar YakisTurkish politician
Date of Birth: 01.08.1938
Country:  Turkey |
Content:
- Yas̆ar Yakıs̆: A Turkish Diplomat and Politician
- Diplomatic Career
- Prominent Roles
- Political Involvement
- Continued Service
- Recognition and Legacy
Yas̆ar Yakıs̆: A Turkish Diplomat and Politician
Early Life and EducationYas̆ar Yakıs̆ was born in Akçakoça, Turkey, in 1938. He completed his undergraduate studies in Political Sciences from Ankara University in 1962.
Diplomatic Career
Yakıs̆ joined the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1962, serving in various positions at the Turkish Consulate General in Brussels and the Turkish Embassy in Lagos, Nigeria. He also attended the NATO Defense College in Rome, Italy. After being appointed as an advisor to the Turkish delegation at NATO headquarters in Brussels, he later became a counsellor at the Turkish Embassy in Damascus, Syria.
Prominent Roles
From 1978 to 1988, Yakıs̆ held key positions within the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, including as the Director-General of Personnel and the Head of the NATO Department and Coordination Office of the Standing Committee for Economic and Commercial Cooperation of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation. In 1988, he was appointed as the Turkish Ambassador to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. He served as the Assistant Undersecretary for Economic Affairs in 1992 and became the Turkish Ambassador to Cairo, Egypt in 1995. From 1998 to 2000, he was Turkey's Permanent Representative to the United Nations Office and other international organizations based in Vienna.
Political Involvement
Yakıs̆ was a founding member and Deputy Chairman of Foreign Affairs of the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) in August 2001. In the 2002 general elections, he was elected as a Member of Parliament (MP). He served as Minister of Foreign Affairs in the 58th government of Turkey led by Abdullah Gül until Recep Tayyip Erdoğ an, the leader of the AK Party, was elected to Parliament and became Prime Minister in March 2003. Gül replaced Yakıs̆ as Foreign Minister. During his tenure as Foreign Minister, Yakıs̆ participated in the Convention on the Future of Europe, which aimed to draft a treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe in 2003.
Continued Service
Yakıs̆ was re-elected as an MP in the 2007 general elections. He chaired the European Union Harmonization Commission and the Turkey-France Friendship Group in the Turkish Parliament, and served as an MP after the 2011 general elections.
Recognition and Legacy
Yas̆ar Yakıs̆ received the Officer of the Legion of Honour in 2009. He is proficient in French, English, and Arabic.
