Yesterday's election of Parliament Speaker ended with a clear-cut majority for the candidate of the Justice and Development Party (AKP). Köksal Toptan, MP for Zonguldak, on the Black Sea coast, was elected with 450 votes in the first round. He has become the 24th Speaker of the Turkish Assembly.

Kamer Genc, the colourful independent candidate from Tunceli had withdrawn his candidacy. A second candidate from the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), Antalya MP Tuncay Toskay, received 74 votes.

Seven ballot papers were empty, and 4 were invalid.

After his election, Toptan said: "All parties are my party, all MPs are my MPs."

Baykal had pledged support

Before the election, Toptan had visited the Democratic Left Party (DSP) and the Republican People's Party (CHP). CHP chairperson Deniz Baykal had announced that the party had not made a collective decision, but that he as CHP chairperson would join the election and support Köksal Toptan.

The CHP had boycotted the presidential elections in April by not attending the parliamentary session, thus leaving the MPs short of a quorum.

Who is Köksal Toptan?

Born in Rize (Black Sea coast) in 1943, Toptan was educated in Zonguldak. He graduated from the law faculty of Istanbul University in 1966. While a student, he was part of the Turkish Students' Union.

He worked as a legal practitioner for a while. He has worked in the AKP party organisation at different levels. He has been a member of municipal parliament. He did his military service as a substitute military judge.

He was first elected into parliament in 1977 as an MP for the Justice Party (AP). He has been a member of the parliamentary commissions for justice and public economic enterprises.

He was a state minister under Süleyman Demirel in 1979 and continued until the military coup of 12 September 1980. After the coup, he was Demirel's lawyer.

He was a co-founder of the True Path Party (DYP) in 1983 and was elected an MP for the party in 1986 and in 1987 in Zonguldak, and in 1991 and in 1995 in Bartin. He lost the election in Bartin in 1999.

In 2002 he was elected as an AKP candidate in Zonguldak, and again in the last elections.

During his time in parliament, he has also been Minister of Education and of Culture. (TK/AG)