Biography of Necmeddin ERBAKAN

Because of the appointment of his father, his childhood passed in several places. His mother, Kamer Hanım, was from one of the well-known families in Sinop.

 

Necmettin Erbakan graduated from Cumhuriyet Primary School in Kayseri and then he had to go to Trabzon because of his father’s appointment and he finished his primary education successfully in Trabzon.Erbakan was brought up by Shaikh M. Zahid Kotku Hz. who was the Imam of Iskenderpaşa Mosque and a naqshbandi shaikh and other enlightened and Scholar muslim leaders.



Shaikh Kotku had a deep effect on Erbakan in terms of moral maturation.After graduating from the primary school in 1937, he continued his education in Istanbul High School. He was called as ‘Derya Necmettin’ thanks to his great success in his school.



In those times, the top students could go to the University directly without any exam. But he didn’t accept the exemption, and he got the exam. He achieved a perfect score and began to Istanbul Technical University from the second class. One of his friends in University was Süleyman Demirel who also very soon became a politician. Erbakan put forth a great deal of effort to open of a small mosque for his friends to pray easily at the university and they succeeded.In 1948, during summer term, Erbakan who graduated from ITU, faculty of mechanical engineering with a good degree, got the chairmanship as an assistant at Engine Department of the Machine Faculty.



During the following years, he prepared his doctorate thesis. Although only doctors and professors were able to teach in universities, he was given a special permission for teaching only when he was an assistant.In 1951, he was sent to Aachen Technical University in Germany by the fellowship of ITU for the aim of improving his scientific research with Professor Smith. He prepared three theses in two years. One of them was his doctoral thesis, and then he got the fame as a Doctor-Engineer.



Erbakan made successful research about engines which use little fuel oil for Germany Economy Minister. After his thesis was published in some of the important magazines, Prof. Dr. Flats who was the director of the greatest engine factory at that time, DEUTZ, invited him to make research about the Leopard Tanks.After the Second World War, Erbakan, the first Turkish scientist at German Universities, returned to Istanbul for the exam of Assistant Professorship. When he was 27, he became the youngest assistant professor. Then he went back to Germany for his investigations.



Also, he was the head engineer of engine research for 6 years.In 1953, he returned to ITU. In between 1954-1955 he joined to the army. He was second lieutenant for 6 months and lieutenant for the second 6 months. During military service, a regular equipment list was prepared by him. The list aroused attention in the American Commission and an American captain announced that he wanted to see the soldier who prepared the list. When the colonel asked “why do you want production machines this year while they had wanted final products previously?” Erbakan replied that “These workbenches were in America, why’ should not we have them?” Soon these workbenches were brought to Turkey.After finishing military service, he returned to the university again and in 1956, he set up “GÜMÜŞ” Engine Company that would produce the first local engines.




When Prime Minister Adnan Menderes congratulated Erbakan and thanked him. In 1960, in the congress of industry Erbakan said that we should have produced our own automobile up to now. Later, the first Automobile named DEVRİM was produced in the first local automobile company of the country which was set up by Erbakan.In 1966 Prof. Erbakan became the president of Industry Division in the Union, of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Türkiye. In 1968, he became a member of Executive Board of the Union. In 1969, he was the president of the. Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Türkiye. But Demirel was the head of the government in those years. He removed Erbakan from his position in an illegal way.




After consulting to opinion leaders of society he decided to continue struggling in political arena. He applied to Adalet Party but he was vetoed. He was elected from Konya as an independent member of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey in 1969.He married with Nermin Erbakan, a graduate of economics, in 1967.They have two daughters, Zeynep born in 1968, Elif born in 1974 and a son Muhammed Fatih born in 1979.




Erbakan founded the first political party “Milli Nizam”, which was a product of “Milli Görüş” Movement in 1970 January 24, but when the party was closed in an antidemocratic way in 1971 after a military coup, Erbakan went to Switzerland for a short time.The second party he founded was Milli Selamet Party. From 1974 to 1978 the party was in different coalition governments and Erbakan was the assistant of prime minister and president of Economy council.



During these four years he focused on the material and moral development of Turkey, he played a crucial role in the Cyprus success, he pioneered the movement of heavy industry, achieved complete membership of “ORGANIZATION OF ISLAMIC CONFERENCE”, he guaranteed equal rights to the graduates of Imam-Hatip High schools in University entrance exam. After the coup of 12 September, the party was closed and he was banned from politics.In 1987, Erbakan came back to the active politics with Welfare (Refah) Party.




After becoming a member of the assembly, his party had a historical success in municipality elections, which is soon named as “REVOLUTION”In 1995, Refah Party became to be the greatest party of Turkey as a result of the election. And Erbakan formed the 54th government of Turkey on 28th June 1996, becoming the prime minister. The coalition government lasted only 11 months. During that time, he struggled so hard to achieve his widely known three ideals which are: LIVEABLE TURKEY, GREAT TURKEY AGAIN, A NEW WORLD, he succeeded balanced budget without taking domestic or foreign debt. He assured more than 30 billion with the source packet and pool system.




The nominal welfare of whole society doubled.In international arena, he took the first step for D-8 Movement by bringing together Eight Muslim Countries. BANGLADESH, EGYPT, INDONESIA, IRAN, NIGERIA, PAKISTAN and TURKEY which is thought to represent the 5 billion populations of developing countries against G-8 in a peaceful way. The last action attracted the attention of secret governers of the world. So again an anti-democratic process began and Erbakan was forced to leave Prime Ministry by a post-modern coup and he was banned from politics and his party was closed.The movement of Milli Görüş has continued with Fazilet (Virtue) Party. This party was also closed after an elected parliament member refused to undress her head scarf.With Erbakan, political and geographical perceptions of Muslims have changed in Turkey and in Islamic World. Islam, in the last 200 years history of Turkey was imprisoned to the hearts and mosques, and Muslims were treated as second class people.



With him Muslims of Turkey believed that they must have the strongest voice in the future of their country. And this geography indeed belongs to them.He pointed to the importance of the power of money and independence. He demonstrated people, how they are exploited by a happy minority, through high interest rates and other tools. He believed that Muslim Countries are indeed rich in terms of the diversity of resources and he showed how these resources can be used during his governments.




With him Muslims recognized the double standart treatments of international organizations such as UN, NATO, EU and learned the secret and real governers of the world. So he was seen responsible for unforgivable mistakes in the eyes of political, economic, military and media powers.



They never tried to understand the cures presented by him instead they chose to label him as unrealistic. Therefore he has always been exposed to slanders, inquiries and accusations.




One of the most distinctive characteristics of Erbakan is his determination and stability in his ideals and convictions and his never acceptance of impossibility.Erbakan, the leader of the Saadet Party, died from heart failure on February 27, 2011, aged 85.

http://www.saadet.org.tr/kisi/necmettin-erbakan