Ahmet Necdet Sezer

Ahmet Necdet Sezer was appointed as the President of the Turkish Constitutional Court, the highest judicial authority. He served in this role until 2000.

Sezer was elected as the 10th President of Turkey by the Grand National Assembly. He was the first president from a judicial background and was seen as a secularist.

Sezer vetoed constitutional amendments proposed by the AK Party government that would have allowed women to wear headscarves in universities. He argued the amendments violated secular principles.

Sezer frequently vetoed AK Party legislation and criticized the government for undermining secularism. His presidency was marked by tensions between the secularist establishment and the Islamist-rooted government.

Sezer's seven-year presidential term ended. He was succeeded by Abdullah Gul, whose election sparked a constitutional crisis due to his AK Party background and his wife's headscarf.