Sunday, December 9, 2001		VIP Toon Tales

"HOW nice of you, you have made a good sketch of me", was the remark made by the President of Turkey Suleymann Demirel as I met him soon after he laid a wreath on the Samadhi of Mahatma Gandhi as a mark of respect to the Father of Nation. He was in an excellent mood and appreciated the picture and obliged with his autograph on it. The President was in Delhi on a state visit in 1995. He had a distinguished career — Deputy Prime Minister in 1965, Prime Minister from 1965 to 1971, and again from 1979 to 1980. His worst phase from 1980 to 1987 when he was banned from politics. He bounced back to become President of Turkey in 1991 with the support of his followers and admirers.