Turkish parliament speaker taken to hospital

By Meltem Ozturk, Enes Kaplan, Cankut Tasdan

ANKARA

Turkey’s Parliament Speaker Ismail Kahraman was taken to hospital after suffering an infection, said the Turkish parliament’s press office on Thursday.

The 76-year-old politician was taken to Guven Hospital in Ankara for further examination and treatment, the press office stated.

Kahraman, a veteran Justice and Development (AK) Party member, is from Rize, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s home province.

The president and his spouse, Emine visited Kahraman at the hospital where he is getting treatment.

Erdogan was accompanied by Justice Minister Bekir Bozdag, Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu, the Presidency's Secretary General Fahri Kasirga, Ankara Governor Ercan Topaca and Ankara Mayor Melih Gokcek during his 30 minutes visit.

He was elected as speaker of parliament in November last year.

Kahraman previously worked at the labor and culture ministries as, respectively, undersecretary and minister.

Married with four children, he served as culture minister between 1996 and 1997 and was previously a deputy in Turkey’s 20th and 21st parliaments.