Bekir Bozdağ

Bekir Bozdağ
MP
Deputy Speaker of the Grand National Assembly
Incumbent
Assumed office
14 June 2023
SpeakerNuman Kurtulmuş
Serving withGülizar Biçer Karaca
Celal Adan
Sırrı Süreyya Önder
Preceded bySüreyya Sadi Bilgiç
Minister of Justice
In office
29 January 2022 – 4 June 2023
PresidentRecep Tayyip Erdoğan
Preceded byAbdulhamit Gül
Succeeded byYılmaz Tunç
In office
24 November 2015 – 19 July 2017
Prime MinisterAhmet Davutoğlu
Binali Yıldırım
DeputyBilal Uçar
Preceded byKenan İpek
Succeeded byAbdulhamit Gül
In office
26 December 2013 – 7 March 2015
Prime MinisterRecep Tayyip Erdoğan
Ahmet Davutoğlu
DeputyVeysi Kaynak
Preceded bySadullah Ergin
Succeeded byKenan İpek
Deputy Prime Minister of Turkey
In office
19 July 2017 – 9 July 2018
Prime MinisterBinali Yıldırım
Serving withRecep Akdağ
Mehmet Şimşek
Hakan Çavuşoğlu
Fikri Işık
Preceded byNuman Kurtulmuş
Succeeded byOffice abolished
In office
6 July 2011 – 25 December 2013
Prime MinisterRecep Tayyip Erdoğan
Serving withBülent Arınç
Ali Babacan
Beşir Atalay
Preceded byHayati Yazıcı
Succeeded byEmrullah İşler
President of the Supreme Board of Judges and Prosecutors
Incumbent
Assumed office
24 November 2015
Preceded byKenan İpek
In office
26 December 2013 – 7 March 2015
Preceded bySadullah Ergin
Succeeded byKenan İpek
Member of the Grand National Assembly
Incumbent
Assumed office
4 June 2023
ConstituencyŞanlıurfa (2023)
In office
17 November 2015 – 29 January 2022
ConstituencyYozgat (Nov 2015, 2018)
In office
14 November 2002 – 23 April 2015
ConstituencyYozgat (2002, 2007, 2011)
Personal details
Born (1965-04-01) 1 April 1965 (age 61)
Akdağmadeni, Yozgat, Turkey
PartyJustice and Development Party (AKP)
Children3
EducationTheology
Alma materUludağ University, Selçuk University
OccupationPolitician, theologian, Lawyer

Bekir Bozdağ (born 1 April 1965) is a Turkish lawyer and politician of Kurdish origin of the Justice and Development Party (AKP). He served as Deputy Prime Minister from 2011 to 2013 and from 2017 to 2018. and as Minister of Justice on three occasions 2013-2015, 2015-2017 and 2022-2023. He was elected Deputy speaker of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey in June 2023 and resigned the post on October 2026, citing health problems; He remains member of parliament for Şanlıurfa.

His first two terms as Justice Minister covered the 17-25 December 2013 corruption investigation and for the second term, the state of emergency that followed the July 2016 coup attempt. Opposition figures and press freedom groups the judiciary's conduct and the protection of social media posts during that period. Bozdağ defended judicial independence and disputed some of the claims.

Early life and education

He was born on 1 April 1965 in Akdağmadeni in Yozgat Province, Turkey. He studied Theology at Uludağ University in Bursa, where he also completed a master's degree in the history of religions, and then graduated from the law faculty of Selçuk University in Konya. He worked for a time in the public sector before practising as a lawyer.

In 2017 President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said that, despite being from Yozgat, Bozdağ was of Kurdish origin.

Political career

Early career

Bozdağ began his career in the Virtue Party. He stood as its candidate for Mayor of Akdağmadeni in 1999 and served as a deputy chair of its Yozgat provincial organisation from 1999 to 2001.

Parliament and first term as Deputy Prime Minister (2002–2013)

Bozdağ was elected to the Grand National assembly for Yozgat in the 2002, 2007 and 2011 elections. He sat on the Justice Committee and was appointed Deputy Prime Minister in the third Erdoğan cabinet on 6 July, 2011 serving until 25 December 2013.

Minister of Justice and Deputy Prime Minister (2013–2018)

Bozdağ became Minister of Justice on 26 December 2013, in the cabinet reshuffle that followed the corruption investigation of 17-25 December. He held the post until March 2015, and again From November 2015to July 2017, when he returned as Deputy Prime Minister in the cabinet of Binali Yıldırım. The Deputy Prime Minister's post was abolished in July 2018 when Turkey moved to a presidential system.

Constitution Committee and party roles (2018–2022)

He was reelected for Yozgat in 2018. Back in parliament he chaired the Constitution Committee and served as deputy chairman of the AKP.

Third term as Minister of Justice (2022–2023)

On 28 January 2022 president Erdoğan appointed him Minister of Justice for the third time, after Abdulhamit Gül resigned. The official gazette gave no reason for Gül's departure. Bianet reported that Gül's departure followed his public objection to the leaking of surveillance camera footage of Istanbul mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, which pro government media had used to attack the Mayor, and that the objection was seen as implicitly aimed at Interion Minister Süleyman Soylu. Bozdağ left the post after the 2023 election and was succeeded by Yilmaz Tunc.

Deputy Speaker (2023–2026)

Bozdağ was elected for parliament for Şanlıurfa in the 2023 election and became a deputy speaker of the Grand National Assembly in June 2023. On 6 October 2026 he submitted his resignation to the speaker's office, citing health problems, while keeping his parliamentary seat. No official statement gave details on his condition. the AKP group chose a replacement on 7 October 2026 Erdoğan announced that Tokat MP Yusuf Beyazıt would take the vacated post.

Personal life

He is married with three children.

References

  1. ↑ "Cumhurbaşkanı: Yozgatlı olduğuna bakmayın Bekir Bey Kürt'tür". gazeteduvar (in Turkish). 8 May 2017. Retrieved 31 July 2022.
  2. 1 2 3 "Bekir Bozdağ" (in Turkish). TBMM. Retrieved 12 July 2011.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 "President Erdoğan replaces justice minister, statistical authority head". bianet.org. Retrieved 11 October 2026.
  4. 1 2 3 "Turkey's Erdogan appoints Bekir Bozdag as Justice Minister". Reuters. 28 January 2022. Retrieved 28 January 2022.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Merkezi, Haber (6 October 2026). "Bekir Bozdağ TBMM Başkanvekilliği görevinden istifa etti". Medyascope (in Turkish). Retrieved 11 October 2026.
  6. 1 2 3 YetkinReport (1 October 2026). "Justice Minister, Stats Institute head replaced – Yetkin Report – Murat Yetkin". Retrieved 11 October 2026.
  7. 1 2 "İşte Ak Parti'nin yeni kabinesi - Resim 8". Haber7 (in Turkish). Retrieved 11 October 2026.
  8. ↑ Duvar, Gazete (8 May 2017). "Cumhurbaşkanı: Yozgatlı olduğuna bakmayın Bekir Bey Kürt'tür" (in Turkish). Gazete Duvar. Retrieved 11 October 2026.
  9. ↑ "MİLLETVEKİLİ ARAMA FORMU". 2026.
  10. ↑ English, Duvar (29 January 2022). "Erdoğan replaces justice minister, stats institute head" (in Turkish). Duvar English. Retrieved 11 October 2026.
  11. 1 2 Bulut, Dursun Ali (6 October 2026). "Bekir Bozdağ istifa etti: TBMM Başkanvekilliği görevini bıraktı". Timeturk (in Turkish). Retrieved 11 October 2026.
  12. ↑ "Bekir Bozdağ istifa etmişti: AKP'nin yeni grup başkan vekili belli oldu - Evrensel" (in Turkish). 7 October 2026. Retrieved 11 October 2026.