Adnan Menderes

Turkish statesman and prime minister (1950–60), born near Aydin, W Turkey. Though educated for the law, he became a farmer, and entered politics in 1932. In 1945 he became one of the leaders of the new Democratic Party, and was made prime minister when it came to power in 1950. Re-elected in 1954 and 1957, in May 1960 he was deposed and superseded after an army coup. He appeared as defendant with over 500 officials of his former Democratic Party administration at the Yassiada trials (1960–1), was sentenced to death, and hanged.

Adnan Menderes (1899 - September 17, 1961) turkish statesman and Prime minister between 1950–1960.

He was born in 1899 in Aydın, the son of a wealthy landowner. After primary school, Menderes attended the American College in İzmir. In 1930, Menderes organized a branch of the short lived "Serbest Fırka" (Free Party) in Aydin. After the ban of this party, he joined Cumhuriyet Halk Partisi (Republican People’s Party) and was elected deputy of Aydin in 1931.

On January 7, 1946, he formed the Demokrat Parti (Democratic party), the first legal opposition party in Turkey. He was elected deputy of Kütahya in the 1946 elections and became the highest-ranking man in the party after Celal Bayar. When the DP came to power after the elections on May 14, 1950, Menderes became prime minister, and in 1955 he also assumed the duties of foreign minister.

In 1955, Menderes was implicated in the organisation of the Istanbul Pogrom, which targeted the city's substantial Greek minority.

Menderes became quite famous for selling or distributing most of the estate he had inherited to small shareholders. He was more tolerant towards traditional lifestyles and different forms of practice of Islam than Atatürk and his party had been - he campaigned in the 1950 elections almost exclusively on the single-issue platform of legalizing the Arabic language adhan, which had been banned by Atatürk. Menderes had a more liberal economic policy than earlier prime ministers, and allowed more private enterprise.

He was most intolerant towards criticism, so he instituted press censorship and had journalists arrested, as well as attempted to oppress the opposing political parties (predominantly CHP) and take institutions such as universities under his control. Menderes became increasingly unpopular among the intellectuals, university students and the military, who feared that the ideals of Atatürk were in danger.

On February 17, 1959 Menderes survived a plane crash.

On May 27, 1960 a military coup toppled the government, and Menderes was arrested along with some other party members, charged with violating the constitution.

A university in Aydin and the international airport in İzmir are named after him. Furthermore, his name was given to two high schools, namely, Istanbul Bahcelievler Adnan Menderes Anadolu Lisesi, and Aydin Adnan Menderes Anadolu Lisesi.