speaker on 23 June 2015. He was the CHP's candidate to become the permanent Parliamentary Speaker for the 25th Parliament of Turkey. He contested the June–July 2015 speaker elections, but lost to Justice and Development Party candidate İsmet Yılmaz in the final round with 182 votes to Yılmaz's 258 on 1 July 2015. Baykal was one of the five CHP politicians who were offered ministerial positions by Justice and Development Party leader Ahmet Davutoğlu in August 2015. Davutoğlu had been tasked by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to form an interim election government after coalition negotiations proved unsuccessful and resulted in Erdoğan calling an early election. Since the CHP had 131 MPs during the formation of the interim government, the party was entitled to 5 ministries in the cabinet, though Kılıçdaroğlu announced that the CHP would not take part and give up their five ministries to independent politicians. Baykal subsequently declined Davutoğlu's offer, as did the four other CHP MPs that had been offered ministerial positions. His letter of declination was three pages long and was described by himself as an 'equivalent of a historical document'. Re-elected as an MP in the November 2015 general election, Baykal was once again the oldest MP in the newly elected 26th Parliament of Turkey and subsequently became interim Speaker of the Parliament on 17 November 2015. He was succeeded by İsmail Kahraman, the AKP's candidate for Speaker, who was elected on 22 November 2015 in the third round. The CHP's candidate this time round had been Ayşe Gülsün Bilgehan, the granddaughter of former President İsmet İnönü. Personal life and death Baykal died on 11 February 2023, at the age of 84. He was found dead in his bed at 05:00 by his wife Olcay. His daughter Aslı Baykal announced that her father died due to a heart attack. He was buried in the Turkish State Cemetery in Ankara following the funeral service held at Ahmet Hamdi Akseki Mosque. See also 37th government of Turkey 42nd government of Turkey 52nd government of Turkey Left of Center (Turkey) References External links 1938 births 2023 deaths People from Antalya Contemporary Republican People's Party (Turkey) politicians Ankara University alumni Academic staff of Ankara University Burials at Turkish State Cemetery Leaders of the Republican People's Party (Turkey) Government ministers of Turkey Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Turkey Deputy Prime Ministers of Turkey Ministers of Finance of Turkey Leaders of