Baku-APA. leader and Diyarbakır deputy Åžerafettin Elçi, who had sought a peaceful solution to the longstanding Kurdish question for a long time, passed away at age 74 on Tuesday, APA reports quoting Todays Zaman.
Elçi was hospitalized a few weeks ago and was receiving medical treatment in Ankara Medicana International Hospital for a while. He was suffering from a lung disease and hospital officials announced his death on Tuesday evening.
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip ErdoÄŸan offered his condolences to Elçi's family immediately after he was informed about the Kurdish deputy's death.
Elçi was elected an independent deputy from the southeastern province of Diyarbakır in 2011 general elections and entered Parliament.
He was involved in efforts in social and political realm to bring an end to the festering Kurdish question that has become a litmus test for the maturity of the Turkish democracy.
He served in the Cabinet in 1978 and 1979 as minister of the public works. He was deprived of his political rights in 1982 for about 10 years after he was accused of 'abuse of power and authority' during his tenure in the government.
Elçi, along with other 98 Kurdish intellectuals, took part in the formation of the Foundation of Kurdish Rights and Freedom in 1992.
The foundation was legally recognized as the Kurdish Culture and Research Foundation in 1995. It was the first time that a foundation used Kurdish as a title in the republican history.
He also took part in other associations and rights groups to defend the cultural and political rights of the Turkey's Kurds.
Parties in Parliament issued statements following the news reports and offered condolences to Elçi's family on Tuesday evening.
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