Turkey marks fifth death anniversary of ex-premier

ANKARA

The fifth death anniversary of former Turkish premier Professor Dr. Necmettin Erbakan was commemorated across Turkey Saturday.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told a gathering in Istanbul that Erbakan dedicated his life to the restoration of “this country’s and this nation’s national and spiritual values”.

Erdogan said the life of Erbakan was “full of difficult challenges, sacrifices, unshakable belief and determination”.

The president said the importance of his service to the country and the value of his struggle were being realized with each passing day.

Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu tweeted: “I ask for mercy from Almighty” for our teacher Erbakan “who dedicated his life to the cause and the nation”.

Erbakan died on Feb. 27, 2011. Fourteen years ago on Feb. 28, 1997, the military effectively deposed him as prime minister after less than a year in office, leading to the collapse of his coalition government.

Turkey’s current ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party’s roots lie in part in National View, a political movement that was led by Erbakan.