Aytaç Durak
Encyclopedia
Aytaç Durak is a Turkish politician, and has been the mayor
of Adana
since 1984, excluding one term (1989–1994). He is the longest serving locally elected city mayor in Turkey
, currently at his 5th term. Adding his 17 years as a municipal councillor
, he will have served the municipality of Adana for 42 years by the end of this term. He was the president of the Municipalities Union of Turkey for 17 years and the Çukurova
Municipalities Union for 12 years.
Aytaç Durak is the only politician to have run in all the municipal elections since 1973; twice as councillor, six times as mayoral candidate, losing only once in the 1989 mayoral race. He is regarded as the doyen of Turkey's local politics.
district of Adana Province
in 1938 to a middle-class merchant family. He was the second eldest of the six siblings. He completed his primary education (Grade 1-5) at Gazipaşa Public School, secondary education at Tepebağ
Middle School (Grade 6-8) and at Adana Lycee for Boys (Grade 9-11). He studied Civil Engineering
at Istanbul Technical University
from 1957 to 1963.
as Drinking Water Chief of Adana. In 1965, he was appointed as YSE (Road-Water-Electric Agency now called Rural Services) Director for Adana Province
.
At the mean time, he became the member of Adana Chamber of Commerce. He completed compulsory military service at Ankara-Mamak War Institute and Military Research and Development Agency. Later in his life, he founded a construction company (Durak İnşaat) with his 2 civil engineer brothers and, during the 1970s and early 1980s, he built over 2000 homes.
, after starting his career at DSİ, he was appointed as Adana municipal councillor representing DSİ. After two terms as appointed Municipal Councillor, in 1973 municipal elections
, he ran from Justice Party
and elected as municipal councillor. In 1977
he was re-elected and also acted as the speaker of the Justice Party at the council. He served two terms as elected councillor and removed from the council by coup d'état on September 12, 1980 with all the other politicians in Turkey
. Municipal democracy was suspended until 1984.
During the years that he was at the council, he formed the ideas that will later revolutionize the cityscape; expanding city to north and revitalizing Seyhan River
and building large recreational areas around it.
, he was elected Mayor of Adana representing Motherland Party(ANAP)
. During his first term as mayor, he expanded city to north by planning a modern residential district to house 200 thousand residents. He named this district as Yeni Adana (New Adana). He constructed Adnan Menderes Boulevard along the south shores of Seyhan Reservoir and built parks, picnic areas around it. Adnan Menderes Boulevard then became the main recreational area for the city. He built Regülatör Köprü on Seyhan river south of the old town, a bridge which also acts as a regulator of river water. This caused the part of the river, that is within the city limits, to be full all year around. The river which used to partially dry and have odour in summer times, revitalized and became the core recreational area of the city. During this term, he also founded municipal-owned not-for-profit construction company which built thousands of homes for low-income residents.
Although having a successful term, at the municipal elections of 1989
, he lost his post to Selahattin Çolak
. This was due to the partisan municipal election system in Turkey. His party ANAP was the governing party, but became very unpopular during this time. To protest the governing party, voters chose opposition parties' candidates during the municipal elections without considering candidates' individual skills.
At the municipal elections of March 27, 1994
he was re-elected as mayor of Adana again representing ANAP, this time voters focusing on candidates' skills by comparing his term to Selahattin Çolak's term. At this term, he started building recreational pathways on both banks of Seyhan river from south end to Seyhan Reservoir. He gave special attention to Dilberler Sekisi, most scenic part of the recreational pathway between the old and the new dam. He renovated Atatürk Park and many other parks, built new recreational areas on the northern section of the city. He continued building infrastructure to expand city to north. The construction of Adana Metro, 13.5 km long rapid transit system, started in 1997.
He was re-elected to the office in 1999
representing ANAP for the third term. At this term he started the construction of Merkez Park
, a 33-hectar urban park
along Seyhan river, which is now one of the largest urban parks in Turkey. At this period, he also started building public pools for safe swimming mostly at low-income neighborhoods due the fact that nearly 100 children suffocate every year when chilling out at Seyhan river and irrigation canals during the hot and humid summers. Currently city boasts 35 municipal swimming pools built only within the last 10 years.
Before the municipal elections of 2004
, he resigned from ANAP and joined Justice and Development Party(AK Party)
. ANAP had only 5.1% of the popular votes in 2002 General Elections
and became a minor party after. On March 28, 2004 he was re-elected as mayor of Adana for the fourth term receiving 39% of popular votes. During this period, he completed the construction of Merkez Park
and many other parks, thus, city became much greener. The construction of Adana Metro was suspended during this period due to financial reasons. Construction resumed in 2008 and expected to be completed by the end of 2009. Metro that is under construction for 12 years is the major headache for Aytaç Durak.
In late 2008, AK Party decided not to make Aytaç Durak their candidate for 2009 municipal elections
. Following immediately, Durak resigned from AK Party and joined Nationalist Movement Party (MHP)
. This election was one of his most difficult elections and although being a candidate of the third popular party, his high profile helped him win the elections with only 1,500 vote margin against governing AK Party candidate. For his 5th term, Durak promised to complete urban redevelopment projects for Sinanpaşa, Göl and Fatih neighborhooods, and building the second line for Metro which will extend from Sinanpaşa to Çukurova University
.
On March 17, 2010 Aytaç Durak resigned from MHP until being cleared from allegations for fortune building by raising the land value of his family property. On March 28, Aytaç Durak is suspended from mayoral duties by Ministry of Internal Affairs for two months.
mayor in 1994, he was elected again as the president of the Union of Municipalities of Turkey. He held the title until April'09, when he was removed from the post by Ministry of Internal Affairs. Durak and his party MHP protested removal, stating that presidency ends naturally at Union's Directors' Elections by not being re-elected.
During his presidency of TBB, he went to court for the unequal municipal taxation law. With the old municipal tax law, the corporates used to pay municipal taxes at the location of their headquarters which are mainly in Istanbul
and Ankara
. This caused lack of revenue for other cities. The court found municipal taxation system was not fair and the parliament changed the law, which made a better distribution of municipal revenue among cities.
One of his major concerns as TBB president was the partisan municipal election system. He criticized the current system for creating dependency to national politics. Almost all the time, mayor of a municipality is chosen among one of the candidates of the national parties. Independent candidacy is possible, but very difficult to succeed; the only independent winner of a city in 2009 was Eşref Fakıbaba of Şanlıurfa
. Before 2009 elections, Durak lobbied at the national level for change in the municipal election system. He proposed an election system where all the candidates have to run independently without representing any political party; a system that is used in many western countries.
, a geographical, economical and cultural region, is separated with high mountains from other regions and resembles more like a state of its own. Although, the economical and cultural issues that communities in Çukurova
face are similar, interrelations among the communities were poor. Durak with other mayors of the region wanted to improve co-operation among the communities of Çukurova
. Çukurova Municipalities Union was incorporated in 1997 to be a voice of the local governments in the region. Durak was elected the first president of ÇBB.
Aytaç Durak focused on improving the municipal governing skills of all the municipal staff in Çukurova
. Regular internal education seminars are held throoughout the region. Organized with the support of the municipalities, region-wide cultural events became common. Çukurova Art Days is a four-day festival that takes place throughout Çukurova
since 2007.
After 12 years as the president of ÇBB, Durak did not run again in the 2009 General Assembly. Mayor of Mersin
, Macit Özcan
, is elected the second president of ÇBB.
Durak likes spending his summer leisure times with his grand children at his cottage in Kızıldağ plateau of Karaisalı
. He regularly goes to 5 Ocak Stadium
to watch the football games of Adanaspor
and Adana Demirspor
. He frequently attends theaters and music concerts.
Aytaç Durak is famed in Turkey
, for avoiding kissing men when greeting. In greeting traditions of Turkey
, men shake hands and kiss each other from both cheeks. During the long greeting ceremonies of political parties, Durak considered kissing each other is not healthy and time consuming. He rathered just shaking hands.
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
of Adana
Adana
Adana is a city in southern Turkey and a major agricultural and commercial center. The city is situated on the Seyhan River, 30 kilometres inland from the Mediterranean, in south-central Anatolia...
since 1984, excluding one term (1989–1994). He is the longest serving locally elected city mayor in Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
, currently at his 5th term. Adding his 17 years as a municipal councillor
Councillor
A councillor or councilor is a member of a local government council, such as a city council.Often in the United States, the title is councilman or councilwoman.-United Kingdom:...
, he will have served the municipality of Adana for 42 years by the end of this term. He was the president of the Municipalities Union of Turkey for 17 years and the Çukurova
Çukurova
Çukurova , historically known as Cilicia, is a geographic, economic and cultural region in south-central Turkey, covering the provinces of Mersin, Adana, Osmaniye and Hatay...
Municipalities Union for 12 years.
Aytaç Durak is the only politician to have run in all the municipal elections since 1973; twice as councillor, six times as mayoral candidate, losing only once in the 1989 mayoral race. He is regarded as the doyen of Turkey's local politics.
Early life
Aytaç Durak was born in KaraisalıKaraisali
Karaisalı is a small city and a district in Adana Province of Turkey, administratively a part of the Metropolitan Municipality of Adana.The area contains the reservoirs of Çatalan and Nergizlik...
district of Adana Province
Adana Province
Adana Province is a province of Turkey located in south-central Anatolia. With a population of 2,085,225, it is the fifth most populous province in Turkey. The administrative seat of the province is the city of Adana, home to 78% of the residents of the province...
in 1938 to a middle-class merchant family. He was the second eldest of the six siblings. He completed his primary education (Grade 1-5) at Gazipaşa Public School, secondary education at Tepebağ
Tepebağ
Tepebağ is a historical neighborhood in the old town of Adana. It is situated on a hill overlooking to the Seyhan River steps away from the Taşköprü, and reflects the traditional housing architecture of the city. Tumulus at Tepebağ is the area of the first settlements in Adana.-History:Throughout...
Middle School (Grade 6-8) and at Adana Lycee for Boys (Grade 9-11). He studied Civil Engineering
Civil engineering
Civil engineering is a professional engineering discipline that deals with the design, construction, and maintenance of the physical and naturally built environment, including works like roads, bridges, canals, dams, and buildings...
at Istanbul Technical University
Istanbul Technical University
Istanbul Technical University is an international technical university located in Istanbul, Turkey. It is the world's third oldest technical university dedicated to engineering sciences as well as social sciences recently, and is one of the most prominent educational institutions in Turkey...
from 1957 to 1963.
Career
He started his career in 1963 at State Hydraulic Works(DSİ)State Hydraulic Works (Turkey)
The State Hydraulic Works is a state agency organized under the Ministry of Environment and Forestry of Turkey responsible for the utilization of country's all water resources...
as Drinking Water Chief of Adana. In 1965, he was appointed as YSE (Road-Water-Electric Agency now called Rural Services) Director for Adana Province
Adana Province
Adana Province is a province of Turkey located in south-central Anatolia. With a population of 2,085,225, it is the fifth most populous province in Turkey. The administrative seat of the province is the city of Adana, home to 78% of the residents of the province...
.
At the mean time, he became the member of Adana Chamber of Commerce. He completed compulsory military service at Ankara-Mamak War Institute and Military Research and Development Agency. Later in his life, he founded a construction company (Durak İnşaat) with his 2 civil engineer brothers and, during the 1970s and early 1980s, he built over 2000 homes.
Adana Municipal Councillor
In 1963Turkish local elections, 1963
Turkey held local elections on 17 November 1963. In the elections, both the mayors and the local parliaments were elected. The figures presented below are the results of the local parliament elections....
, after starting his career at DSİ, he was appointed as Adana municipal councillor representing DSİ. After two terms as appointed Municipal Councillor, in 1973 municipal elections
Turkish local elections, 1973
Turkey held local elections on 9 December 1973. In the elections, both the mayors and the local parliaments were elected. The figures presented below are the results of the local parliament elections....
, he ran from Justice Party
Justice Party (Turkey)
The Justice Party was a Turkish political party prominent in the 1960s and 1970s. A descendant of the Democrat Party, the AP was dominated by Süleyman Demirel, who served six times as prime minister, and was in office at the time of the military coup on September 12, 1980...
and elected as municipal councillor. In 1977
Turkish local elections, 1977
Turkey held local elections on 11 December 1977. In the elections, both the mayors and the local parliaments were elected. The figures presented below are the results of the local parliament elections....
he was re-elected and also acted as the speaker of the Justice Party at the council. He served two terms as elected councillor and removed from the council by coup d'état on September 12, 1980 with all the other politicians in Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
. Municipal democracy was suspended until 1984.
During the years that he was at the council, he formed the ideas that will later revolutionize the cityscape; expanding city to north and revitalizing Seyhan River
Seyhan River
The Seyhan River is the longest river in Turkey that is flowing into Mediterranean Sea. The river is 560 km and flows southwest from its headwaters in the Tahtalı-Mountains in Anti-Taurus Mountains to the Mediterranean Sea via a broad delta...
and building large recreational areas around it.
Mayor of Adana
At the municipal elections on March 25, 1984Turkish local elections, 1984
Turkey held local elections on 25 March 1984. In the elections, both the mayors and the local parliaments were elected. The figures presented below are the results of the local parliament elections. -Mayors of metropolitan centers:...
, he was elected Mayor of Adana representing Motherland Party(ANAP)
Motherland Party (Turkey)
The Motherland Party, was a political party in Turkey. It was founded in 1983 by Turgut Özal. It was merged to Democratic Party in October 2009...
. During his first term as mayor, he expanded city to north by planning a modern residential district to house 200 thousand residents. He named this district as Yeni Adana (New Adana). He constructed Adnan Menderes Boulevard along the south shores of Seyhan Reservoir and built parks, picnic areas around it. Adnan Menderes Boulevard then became the main recreational area for the city. He built Regülatör Köprü on Seyhan river south of the old town, a bridge which also acts as a regulator of river water. This caused the part of the river, that is within the city limits, to be full all year around. The river which used to partially dry and have odour in summer times, revitalized and became the core recreational area of the city. During this term, he also founded municipal-owned not-for-profit construction company which built thousands of homes for low-income residents.
Although having a successful term, at the municipal elections of 1989
Turkish local elections, 1989
Turkey held local elections on 26 March 1989. In the elections, both the mayors and the local parliaments were elected. The figures presented below are the results of the local parliament elections. -Mayors of metropolitan centers:...
, he lost his post to Selahattin Çolak
Selahattin Çolak
Selahattin Çolak is a politician in Turkey, and served as the mayor of Adana for two terms; 1977-1980 and 1989-1994.- Career :He served at Police Services before politics...
. This was due to the partisan municipal election system in Turkey. His party ANAP was the governing party, but became very unpopular during this time. To protest the governing party, voters chose opposition parties' candidates during the municipal elections without considering candidates' individual skills.
At the municipal elections of March 27, 1994
Turkish local elections, 1994
Turkey held local elections on 27 March 1994.-Mayor of metropolitan municipality:-External links:*...
he was re-elected as mayor of Adana again representing ANAP, this time voters focusing on candidates' skills by comparing his term to Selahattin Çolak's term. At this term, he started building recreational pathways on both banks of Seyhan river from south end to Seyhan Reservoir. He gave special attention to Dilberler Sekisi, most scenic part of the recreational pathway between the old and the new dam. He renovated Atatürk Park and many other parks, built new recreational areas on the northern section of the city. He continued building infrastructure to expand city to north. The construction of Adana Metro, 13.5 km long rapid transit system, started in 1997.
He was re-elected to the office in 1999
Turkish local elections, 1999
-Results:-Mayor of metropolitan municipality:-External links:*...
representing ANAP for the third term. At this term he started the construction of Merkez Park
Adana Merkez Park
Merkez Park is a urban park that is located on both banks of the Seyhan River in Adana. The larger portion of the park, , is on the west bank....
, a 33-hectar urban park
Urban park
An urban park, is also known as a municipal park or a public park, public open space or municipal gardens , is a park in cities and other incorporated places to offer recreation and green space to residents of, and visitors to, the municipality...
along Seyhan river, which is now one of the largest urban parks in Turkey. At this period, he also started building public pools for safe swimming mostly at low-income neighborhoods due the fact that nearly 100 children suffocate every year when chilling out at Seyhan river and irrigation canals during the hot and humid summers. Currently city boasts 35 municipal swimming pools built only within the last 10 years.
Before the municipal elections of 2004
Turkish local elections, 2004
On March 28, 2004, Turks voted in nationwide municipal elections for the mayors of more than 3,000 cities and towns, as well as administrative council members for all eighty-one Turkish provinces....
, he resigned from ANAP and joined Justice and Development Party(AK Party)
Justice and Development Party (Turkey)
The Justice and Development Party , abbreviated JDP in English and AK PARTİ or AKP in Turkish, is a centre-right political party in Turkey. The party is the largest in Turkey, with 327 members of parliament...
. ANAP had only 5.1% of the popular votes in 2002 General Elections
Turkish general election, 2002
Turkey's 15th general election was held on November 3, 2002 following the collapse of the DSP-MHP-ANAP coalition led by Bülent Ecevit. It was won by the Justice and Development Party , led by Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, producing a crushing majority in spite of their winning just 34.3% of the national vote...
and became a minor party after. On March 28, 2004 he was re-elected as mayor of Adana for the fourth term receiving 39% of popular votes. During this period, he completed the construction of Merkez Park
Adana Merkez Park
Merkez Park is a urban park that is located on both banks of the Seyhan River in Adana. The larger portion of the park, , is on the west bank....
and many other parks, thus, city became much greener. The construction of Adana Metro was suspended during this period due to financial reasons. Construction resumed in 2008 and expected to be completed by the end of 2009. Metro that is under construction for 12 years is the major headache for Aytaç Durak.
In late 2008, AK Party decided not to make Aytaç Durak their candidate for 2009 municipal elections
Turkish local elections, 2009
Turkey held local elections on 29 March 2009. The overal winner was the ruling party Justice and Development Party, although the party saw a decline in its vote relative to the 2007 general election...
. Following immediately, Durak resigned from AK Party and joined Nationalist Movement Party (MHP)
Nationalist Movement Party
The Nationalist Movement Party , is a far-right political party in Turkey.In the 2002 general elections, the party had lost its 129 seats as it had won only 8.34% of the national vote...
. This election was one of his most difficult elections and although being a candidate of the third popular party, his high profile helped him win the elections with only 1,500 vote margin against governing AK Party candidate. For his 5th term, Durak promised to complete urban redevelopment projects for Sinanpaşa, Göl and Fatih neighborhooods, and building the second line for Metro which will extend from Sinanpaşa to Çukurova University
Çukurova University
Çukurova University has eleven faculties, three colleges, seven vocational colleges, three institutes and twenty six research and application centers...
.
On March 17, 2010 Aytaç Durak resigned from MHP until being cleared from allegations for fortune building by raising the land value of his family property. On March 28, Aytaç Durak is suspended from mayoral duties by Ministry of Internal Affairs for two months.
President of Municipalities Union of Turkey (TBB)
In 1987, he was elected the president of TBB, an agency to build co-operation among municipalities. He left this position in 1989, due to not being re-elected as mayor of Adana. After his election as AdanaAdana
Adana is a city in southern Turkey and a major agricultural and commercial center. The city is situated on the Seyhan River, 30 kilometres inland from the Mediterranean, in south-central Anatolia...
mayor in 1994, he was elected again as the president of the Union of Municipalities of Turkey. He held the title until April'09, when he was removed from the post by Ministry of Internal Affairs. Durak and his party MHP protested removal, stating that presidency ends naturally at Union's Directors' Elections by not being re-elected.
During his presidency of TBB, he went to court for the unequal municipal taxation law. With the old municipal tax law, the corporates used to pay municipal taxes at the location of their headquarters which are mainly in Istanbul
Istanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
and Ankara
Ankara
Ankara is the capital of Turkey and the country's second largest city after Istanbul. The city has a mean elevation of , and as of 2010 the metropolitan area in the entire Ankara Province had a population of 4.4 million....
. This caused lack of revenue for other cities. The court found municipal taxation system was not fair and the parliament changed the law, which made a better distribution of municipal revenue among cities.
One of his major concerns as TBB president was the partisan municipal election system. He criticized the current system for creating dependency to national politics. Almost all the time, mayor of a municipality is chosen among one of the candidates of the national parties. Independent candidacy is possible, but very difficult to succeed; the only independent winner of a city in 2009 was Eşref Fakıbaba of Şanlıurfa
Sanliurfa
Şanlıurfa, , often simply known as Urfa in daily language , in ancient times Edessa, is a city with 482,323 inhabitants Şanlıurfa, , often simply known as Urfa in daily language (Syriac ܐܘܪܗܝ Urhoy,Armenian Ուռհա Owr'ha, Arabic الرها ar-Ruhā), in ancient times Edessa, is a city with 482,323...
. Before 2009 elections, Durak lobbied at the national level for change in the municipal election system. He proposed an election system where all the candidates have to run independently without representing any political party; a system that is used in many western countries.
President of Çukurova Municipalities Union (ÇBB)
ÇukurovaÇukurova
Çukurova , historically known as Cilicia, is a geographic, economic and cultural region in south-central Turkey, covering the provinces of Mersin, Adana, Osmaniye and Hatay...
, a geographical, economical and cultural region, is separated with high mountains from other regions and resembles more like a state of its own. Although, the economical and cultural issues that communities in Çukurova
Çukurova
Çukurova , historically known as Cilicia, is a geographic, economic and cultural region in south-central Turkey, covering the provinces of Mersin, Adana, Osmaniye and Hatay...
face are similar, interrelations among the communities were poor. Durak with other mayors of the region wanted to improve co-operation among the communities of Çukurova
Çukurova
Çukurova , historically known as Cilicia, is a geographic, economic and cultural region in south-central Turkey, covering the provinces of Mersin, Adana, Osmaniye and Hatay...
. Çukurova Municipalities Union was incorporated in 1997 to be a voice of the local governments in the region. Durak was elected the first president of ÇBB.
Aytaç Durak focused on improving the municipal governing skills of all the municipal staff in Çukurova
Çukurova
Çukurova , historically known as Cilicia, is a geographic, economic and cultural region in south-central Turkey, covering the provinces of Mersin, Adana, Osmaniye and Hatay...
. Regular internal education seminars are held throoughout the region. Organized with the support of the municipalities, region-wide cultural events became common. Çukurova Art Days is a four-day festival that takes place throughout Çukurova
Çukurova
Çukurova , historically known as Cilicia, is a geographic, economic and cultural region in south-central Turkey, covering the provinces of Mersin, Adana, Osmaniye and Hatay...
since 2007.
After 12 years as the president of ÇBB, Durak did not run again in the 2009 General Assembly. Mayor of Mersin
Mersin
-Mersin today:Today, Mersin is a large city spreading out along the coast, with Turkey's second tallest skyscraper , huge hotels, an opera house, expensive real estate near the sea or up in the hills, and many other modern urban...
, Macit Özcan
Macit Özcan
Macit Özcan, is a Turkish politician of the Republican People's Party and the current mayor of Mersin.After his secondary education in Adana, he graduated in civil engineering from Cukurova University....
, is elected the second president of ÇBB.
Personal life
He is married to Türkan Durak and has two children. His son, Gökhan Durak, who is also a Civil Engineer, runs a local television (Çukurova TV) in Adana. His daughter has a degree in Landscape Architecture.Durak likes spending his summer leisure times with his grand children at his cottage in Kızıldağ plateau of Karaisalı
Karaisali
Karaisalı is a small city and a district in Adana Province of Turkey, administratively a part of the Metropolitan Municipality of Adana.The area contains the reservoirs of Çatalan and Nergizlik...
. He regularly goes to 5 Ocak Stadium
5 Ocak Stadium
Adana 5 Ocak Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Adana, Turkey. The stadium holds 14,085 and was built in 1973. It abides UEFA standards for hosting Europa League games and TFF standards for hosting Super Lig games....
to watch the football games of Adanaspor
Adanaspor
Adanaspor is a professional Turkish football club located in the city of Adana. Formed in 1954, Adanaspor are nicknamed Toros Kaplanları . The club colours are orange and white, and the club play their home matches at Adana 5 Ocak Stadı....
and Adana Demirspor
Adana Demirspor
Adana Demirspor is a professional Turkish football club located in the city of Adana. Formed in 1940, Adana Demirspor are nicknamed Mavi Şimşekler...
. He frequently attends theaters and music concerts.
Aytaç Durak is famed in Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
, for avoiding kissing men when greeting. In greeting traditions of Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
, men shake hands and kiss each other from both cheeks. During the long greeting ceremonies of political parties, Durak considered kissing each other is not healthy and time consuming. He rathered just shaking hands.