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Ahmet Demirbas (1958-) was a Turkish AKP politician who served as President of Turkey from 23 April 2018.

Biography[]

Ahmet Demirbas was born in Istanbul, Turkey in 1973, and he served as Mayor of Istanbul before becoming the leader of the national conservative Justice and Development Party (AKP). He led his party into the 9 April 2018 general election, where it won 39.75% of the vote and 14/35 seats in the Grand National Assembly, ahead of the social democratic Republican People's Party's 22.72% and 8/35 seats, the Nationalist Movement Party's 13.56% and 5/35 seats, the Iyi Party's 12.12% and 4/35 seats, and the Peoples' Democratic Party's 11.84% and 4/35 seats. Two weeks later, Demirbas emerged as the victor in that year's presidential election, winning 58.8% of the vote to CHP candidate Ayal Baykara's 41.2%.

Presidency[]

Demirbas inherited a budget of ₺98 million with a weekly increase of ₺3 million, as well as a happy population. During Demirbas' presidency, the Assembly voted 27-0 to create public housing, 24-3 to increase the size of the Assembly from 35 seats to 70 seats, 15-11 to protect plant varieties, 19-4 to keep the agricultural subsidy, 20-12 in favor of a school bus tax, 32-0 to create a national football league, 32-0 to create a child benefit program, endured six weeks of strikes instigated by the Iyi Party, voted 21-8 in favor of a driving license program, 30-3 to continue road maintenance, and 29-3 to approve a dog license program.

On 14 January 2019, new elections were held, and the AKP won 26/70 seats (its vote share falling to 37.07%), the CHP won 15/70 seats (its share falling to 21.20%), the Iyi Party won 12/70 seats (rising to 17.82%), the MHP won 9/70 seats (falling to 12.32%), and the HDP won 8 seats (falling to 11.59%).

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