On 12 November 1979, he was appointed as a state minister in the Süleyman Demirel government, a post he held until the
military coup of 12 September 1980. Banned from politics, Toptan started to work as a lawyer and even represented Demirel, who was also banned from political activity. He became famous winning all the cases in which he defended Demirel. In 1983, he took an active role in the establishment of the
True Path Party (DYP), then led by
Hüsamettin Cindoruk, and entered Parliament for a second time as a
Zonguldak deputy in the interim elections held on 28 September 1986. In the 1991 elections, he became a deputy from
Bartın and then was appointed minister of education. During his term, he introduced innovative projects such as open high schools and student transfers from the
Turkic republics. After Demirel was elected president in 1993, he competed with
Tansu Çiller for leadership of the DYP but was defeated and resigned from his post as education minister. In 1995, he served as culture minister and was re-elected as a Bartın deputy in the
general elections held in December of that year. In the
1999 general elections, Toptan was unable to enter Parliament but began to work as the chairman of a foundation promoting Turkey. Before the
2002 elections, he was invited by
Erdoğan to the AKP, was elected as a deputy from Zonguldak and was appointed chairman of the parliamentary Justice Commission, where he helped draft the new
Turkish Penal Code (TCK). Before
Gül was first nominated for the presidency, his name was frequently mentioned as a possible candidate for that post. He was hospitalized at the hour when Gül's candidacy was announced and it was rumored backstage that Toptan's illness could be attributed to his disappointment about not being nominated. Toptan's wife is a former judge with the
Supreme Court of Appeals. During his term as education minister, Toptan conducted appreciable work related to disabilities and encouraged the opening of numerous rehabilitation centers. Toptan's wife, Saime Toptan, is the chairwoman of the Turkish Training and Solidarity Foundation for the Disabled. ==References==