Safa Giray entered politics in 1983 along with Turgut Özal from the beginnings of the Motherland Party[7] and was elected into the parliament as an MP from Balıkesir Province.[8] He held the office of Minister of Public Works and Settlement (13 December 1983 – 30 March 1989) in two Turgut Özal cabinets,[3] Minister of National Defense (30 March 1989 – 19 October 1990) in the Yıldırım Akbulut cabinet. He resigned from the position because of inter-party and cabinet conflicts.[4][9] Later, he was appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs (23 June 1991 – 21 November 1991) by Prime minister Mesut Yılmaz. He left politics in 1999 after 16 years.[7]
In 1993, Safa Giray was accused of fraud and misuse of authority during his time of service as Minister of Public Works. He was tried before the Supreme Court[10] in conjunction with the awarding of contracts for motorway construction.[11] He was found not guilty and was acquitted on 12 April 1995.[12]
Safa Giray died on 20 June 2011 in Ankara and was buried in Gölbaşı Cemetery following a state funeral in front of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey and a funeral service at the Kocatepe Mosque.[13]