Hüsamettin Cindoruk (1933 – 11 April 2026) was a lawyer, politician and the 17th Speaker of the Grand National Assembly of Türkiye. Throughout his career, he held the positions of General Chairman of the True Path Party (DYP), Speaker of the TBMM and Acting President of the Republic. As a lawyer, he served as defense counsel in the Yassıada trials conducted after the 27 May coup. He occupies a prominent place in Turkish political history for his scholarly contributions to parliamentary systems and his high-level state offices.

Life and Education

Hüsamettin Cindoruk was born in İzmir in 1933. After completing his primary and secondary education, he graduated from the Faculty of Law at Ankara University. He began his professional career as a freelance lawyer following his studies.

Cindoruk’s legal career became closely intertwined with Turkey’s recent political history. His role as defense counsel in the High Court of Justice established after the 27 May 1940 coup (Yassıada trials) was among the most significant activities of his early professional life.

Political Career and Early Activities

He entered politics in his youth as a member of the Democrat Party (DP). Cindoruk held various organizational positions within the DP from the 1950s onward and did not suspend his political activities after the party’s closure.

During periods of political bans and party closures, he participated in efforts to institutionalize center-right politics. He was one of the founders of the Great Turkey Party (BTP), established in 1983, and joined the founding process of the True Path Party (DYP) after the BTP was shut down.

Party Chairmanship and the Ban Period

Hüsamettin Cindoruk was elected General Chairman of the True Path Party on 14 May 1985, succeeding Süleyman Demirel, who was under political ban. In this so-called “trustee” role, he actively participated in campaigns aimed at lifting the political bans.

Following the 1987 referendum that lifted the political bans, he transferred the party chairmanship to Süleyman Demirel. This transition served as an important example in Turkish political history regarding party leadership structures and the overcoming of political exclusion periods.

Speaker of the TBMM and Acting Presidency

Elected as a member of parliament for Eskişehir in the 1991 general elections, he was chosen as Speaker of the Grand National Assembly of Türkiye on 16 November 1991 and served in this role until 1 October 1995.

Between the death of Turgut Özal and the election of Süleyman Demirel as President in 1993, he fulfilled the constitutional duties of Acting President of the Republic. During his tenure as Speaker, he worked on issues concerning the functioning of parliament and democratic representation.

Democrat Turkey Party and Final Political Activities

Following internal disagreements within the DYP, he left the party in 1997 and founded the Democrat Turkey Party (DTP), assuming its chairmanship. The DTP participated in coalition governments formed after the 28 February process.

In 2009, he was elected General Chairman of the Democrat Party (DP), contributing to efforts to unify the center-right. He stepped down from active party leadership in 2011. Until the final years of his life, he continued to share his views on constitutional law and parliamentary systems through various platforms.

Death

Hüsamettin Cindoruk died on 11 April 2026 at the age of 93. His funeral was held with state protocol and attended by political representatives.