Background
Adnan Menderes was born in Koçarlı, Turkey in 1899.
Adnan Menderes was born in Koçarlı, Turkey in 1899.
After graduation from the American College in Izmir, he obtained a law degree at the University of Ankara.
He was elected to the National Assembly in 1930. After helping to found the Democratic Party in 1946, he saw it triumph in 1950 over the People's Republican Party founded by Kemal Ataturk and headed by Ismet Inönü.
Menderes became premier, and his government was twice re-elected. As the country headed into economic difficulties in 1955, however, criticism of the regime arose in many quarters and Menderes reimposed severe press censorship--abolition of which had been a cardinal point in his first election campaign.
In 1960 he banned all normal political activity and ordered a probe of the Republicans' "unpatriotic activity. " As unrest mounted Menderes imposed martial law. Pressure for his resignation continued, however, particularly among university students.
On May 28, 1960, the regime was ousted in a virtually bloodless military coup headed by General Cemal Gürsel. Menderes and other government leaders were imprisoned and in October 1960 went on trial on a long list of charges, including violation of the Turkish constitution, an offense which carries a mandatory death penalty. Menderes was convicted of this charge on April 21, 1961, and was executed on September 17, 1961.
