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Born in 1938 in Antalya province, Baykal served as CHP Chair for 15 years and eight months until 2010 before current chair Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu.
Kılıçdaroğlu said in a tweet that “It is with great sadness that I learned of the death of our Chair, the lover of Turkey and our Republican People's Party, our Antalya deputy, our precious elder Deniz Baykal. He left us a life story full of struggles.”
Kılıçdaroğlu last visited Baykal on Dec. 30, 2022.
Genel Başkanımız, Türkiye ve Cumhuriyet Halk Partimizin sevdalısı, Antalya milletvekilimiz, kıymetli büyüğümüz Sayın Deniz Baykal’ın vefatını büyük bir üzüntü ile öğrendim. Bize mücadelelerle dolu bir hayat öyküsünü miras bıraktı. Milletimizin başı sağ olsun.
— Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu (@kilicdarogluk) February 11, 2023
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan also shared his condolences for Baykal and said “I wish God's mercy on Deniz Baykal, one of the esteemed figures of Turkish politics, former Chair of the CHP and one of our former ministers. I offer my condolences to his family and supporters.”
Türk siyasetinin değerli isimlerinden CHP Eski Genel Başkanı, eski bakanlarımızdan Sayın Deniz Baykal’a Allah’tan rahmet niyaz ediyor; ailesine ve sevenlerine başsağlığı diliyorum.
— Recep Tayyip Erdoğan (@RTErdogan) February 11, 2023
His daughter Aslı Baykal said his father passed away in his sleep on Feb. 11 morning at his home. “We are planning to bury him in Antalya on Feb. 14,” she said.