Süleyman Demirel: bir siyasi biyografi

With two military coups, numerous coalitions, seven premierships and later presidency, Süleyman Demirel (1924–2015) was one of the most prominent figures of Turkish politics. The aim of this study is to examine Demirel's life within the framework of pragmatism in order to provide a better understanding of his political career, choices and preferences. The study argues that Demirel's life can be identified with an ongoing tension between principled action and pragmatism, where the latter dominated his stance in politics. It relies on the biographical method because it constitutes a different approach in the field of political science and provides an alternative reading of Turkish politics. Rather than being a sheer chronological work, the study represents Turkish political history via 'his story' and aims to encourage the reader to think out of the box.