Cem Toker
{{Short description|Turkish politician}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| image = Cem Toker2.jpg
| name= Cem Toker
| party=LDP
| birth_date={{Birth date and age|1957|7|5|mf=y}}
| birth_place=Istanbul
| death_date=
| death_place=
| alma_mater = Arizona State University
| office = Leader of the Liberal Democratic Party
| term_start =20 June 2005
| term_end =29 January 2017
| successor = Gültekin Tırpancı
| predecessor = Hakan Çizem
}}
Cem Toker (born July 5, 1957) is a Turkish politician, businessman, economist and the former leader of the Liberal Democratic Party of Turkey ({{langx|tr|Liberal Demokrat Parti}}, LDP). He was elected in the fourth ordinary party congress on June 20, 2005.
Early life and career
Toker was born in 1957 in Istanbul. He graduated from the British College, İstanbul and then earned his bachelor's degree in economics from Arizona State University.
He worked in the finance sector and formed a company offering international consultancy, guidance and language services.
Toker is single and has no children.
Political career
His political career in the LDP started in 1996. Toker served as an executive and the chairman of the Istanbul branch of the LDP. He also served as the party's deputy secretary-general and secretary-general. From 2003 to 2005, he served as the deputy chairman of LDP. He was elected as the president of the party for the first time at the 4th ordinary congress of LDP in June 2005.{{cite news
|work=Haber 7
|title=LDP Cem Toker´i Genel Başkan seçti
|trans-title=LDP elects Cem Toker for Presidency
|date=2005-06-21
|url=http://www.haber7.com/haber/20050621/LDP-Cem-Tokeri-Genel-Baskan-secti.php?sayfa=1
|language=Turkish
|access-date=2012-07-09}} He has been reelected twice in March 2008 and October 2010.{{cite news
|work=Hurriyet Avrupa
|title=Cem Toker yeniden LDP Başkanı
|trans-title=Cem Toker is the LDP President again
|date=2008-03-31
|url=http://www.hurriyet.de/haberler/son-dakika/195997/haber
|language=Turkish
|publisher=Hürriyet
|access-date=2012-07-09
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304063618/http://www.hurriyet.de/haberler/son-dakika/195997/haber
|archive-date=2016-03-04
|url-status=dead
|title=Cem Toker 3. Kez Genel Başkanlığa Seçildi
|trans-title=Cem Toker has been elected for the 3rd time
|first=Metin
|last=Mintaz
|url=http://www.bilgiagi.net/cem-toker-3-kez-genel-baskanliga-secildi-2/29557/
|publisher=Bilgi Agi
|date=October 4, 2010
|language=Turkish
|access-date=2012-09-07
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150414011709/http://www.bilgiagi.net/cem-toker-3-kez-genel-baskanliga-secildi-2/29557/
|archive-date=April 14, 2015
|url-status=dead
}}
He was the architect of the LDP-led umbrella alliance offer in 2006.{{cite web |first=Şakir |last=Süter |url=http://www.aksam.com.tr/yazar.asp?a=57254,10,11 |title=LDP'den ittifak |trans-title=Alliance from LDP |language=Turkish |publisher=Akşam |date=November 2, 2006 |access-date=2007-03-19 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070928020434/http://www.aksam.com.tr/yazar.asp?a=57254%2C10%2C11 |archive-date=September 28, 2007 }} He offered an alliance to nine political parties from both left and right (including Anavatan and Demokratik Sol Parti) for the basic values of republicanism against the governing conservative party, AKP. The offer was still open in 2007 and in 2011 elections.{{cite web
|first=Can
|last=Ataklı
|url=http://www7.gazetevatan.com/root.vatan?exec=yazardetay&tarih=08.03.2007&Newsid=112041&Categoryid=4&wid=142
|title=Cumhuriyet için birlikte ilk ses
|trans-title=First Sound at Alliance for Republic
|language=Turkish
|work=Vatan
|date=March 8, 2007
|access-date=2007-03-19
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070310213828/http://www7.gazetevatan.com/root.vatan?exec=yazardetay&tarih=08.03.2007&Newsid=112041&Categoryid=4&wid=142
|archive-date=2007-03-10
|url-status=dead
}} In January 2017 he announced that he was stepping down as party leader and transferring the party leadership to Gültekin Tırpancı.{{Cite web|url=https://www.turkishminute.com/2017/01/30/cem-toker-steps-ldp-leader/|title=Cem Toker steps down as LDP leader - Turkish Minute|last=TM|date=30 January 2017 |language=en-US|access-date=2019-11-03}}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{s-start}}
{{s-ppo}}
{{succession box |
before=Hakan Çizem|
title=Leader of the Liberal Demokrat Parti (LDP) |
years=2005–2017|
after=Gültekin Tırpancı
}}
{{s-end}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Toker, Cem}}
Category:Leaders of political parties in Turkey
Category:Politicians from Istanbul
Category:Arizona State University alumni
Category:Liberal Democratic Party (Turkey) politicians
{{Turkey-politician-stub}}