Cahit Karakaş

Cahit Karakaş
Karakaş in 1978
Minister of Public Works
In office 26 March 1971 – 10 November 1971
Prime Minister	Nihat Erim
Preceded by	Yaşar Gülez
Succeeded by	Mukadder Öztekin
Minister of Transportation
In office 10 November 1971 – 11 December 1971
Prime Minister	Nihat Erim
Preceded by	Selahattin Babüroğlu
Succeeded by	Rıfkı Danışman
Speaker of the National Assembly
In office 17 November 1977 – 12 September 1980
President	Fahri Korutürk
Preceded by	Kemal Güven
Succeeded by	Sadi Irmak
Personal details
Born	1928 Bartın, Turkey
Political party	Justice Party (AP) Republican People's Party (CHP) Populist Party (HP) Democratic Left Party (DSP)
Alma mater	Istanbul Technical University Technische Universität Berlin

Cahit Karakaş (born 1928) is a Turkish engineer and a former politician. He served as government minister and Speaker of the Parliament.

Early life

He was born in Bartın in 1928. In 1952, he graduated from Istanbul Technical University. After his doctorate at Technische Universität Berlin, he returned to Turkey to serve as a civil engineer.

Politician career

He joined the Justice Party and in 1965 he was elected MP from Zonguldak Province. In 1973, he supported the technocratic government of Nihat Erim and he became the Minister of Public Works in the 33rd government of Turkey serving between 26 March 1971 and 10 November 1971, and then the Minister of Transportation from 10 November to 11 December 1971. He later joined the Republican People's Party (CHP).

After the 1977 general elections, in which CHP won the plurality, the parliament failed to elect its speaker for about six months. Finally on 17 November that year, Cahit Karakaş was elected the Speaker of the Turkish parliament. He kept this post until the 1980 Turkish coup d'etat staged on 12 September.

During the civilian regime following 1983, he joined the Populist Party (HP). After the foundation of the Democratic Left Party (DSP), he joined DSP. His membership in the parliament ended by the 1987 general elections.