Anadolu Agency
Feb 26 2005
Former Turkish F.M. Kirca Laid To Rest In Istanbul
By Anadolu Agency
Published: 2/26/2005
TurkishPress.com
ISTANBUL – Coskun Kirca, the former Turkish foreign minister,
ambassador and writer who died of respiratory and heart failure on
Thursday, was laid to rest in Istanbul on Saturday.
A ceremony took place at the Galatasaray University out of respect to
Kirca, 78.
Speaking at the ceremony, Galatasaray University Rector Prof. Dr.
Duygun Yarsuvat said that Kirca had made important contributions to
democratization of Turkey as a successful politician.
Meanwhile, French Consul General in Istanbul Jean-Christophe
Peaucelle said that Kirca had played a significant role in setting up
educational cooperation between Turkey and France.
Kirca was born in Istanbul in 1927. Graduating from Galatasaray High
School and Istanbul Faculty of Law, Kirca served as the Director of
the International Security Department’s Planning and Assistance
Branch, Turkey’s Permanent Representative to NATO, Turkey’s Permanent
Representative to UN and ambassador to several foreign countries. He
survived an armed attack of three Armenian terrorists with several
injuries on March 12th, 1985 when he was Turkey’s Ambassador in
Ottawa.
Besides politics, he also worked as a journalist and wrote for
magazines as ”Forum, Akis, Kim and Yeni Forum” and newspapers as
”Vatan, Yeni Gun, Yeni Vatan and Yeni Yuzyil.”
Coskun Kirca, who was a founder member of the parliament in 1960, was
elected a parliamentarian both from the Republican People’s Party
(CHP) and True Path Party (DYP). He undertook important duties in
preparation of all constitutions of Turkey adopted since 1961.
After being elected as a deputy from DYP in 1991, Kirca served as
Turkish Foreign Minister of the 51st government formed by then DYP
leader Tansu Ciller.
Kirca was married with three children.