The 1960 Turkish coup was the first military overthrow in the Turkish Republic, ending democratic rule and resulting in the execution of Prime Minister Adnan Menderes.
Key Facts
- Date
- 27 May 1960
- Officers involved
- 38 young military officers
- Coup leader (nominal)
- General Cemal Gürsel
- De facto leader (pre-coup)
- Cemal Madanoğlu
- Government ousted
- Democrat Party (democratically elected)
- Executions
- Prime Minister Menderes and two ministers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
Growing political tensions under the Democrat Party government of Prime Minister Adnan Menderes, perceived authoritarian practices, restrictions on opposition, and economic difficulties fueled discontent among segments of the Turkish military and intelligentsia, leading a group of officers to plan the overthrow of the elected government.
On 27 May 1960, 38 Turkish military officers acting outside the chain of command seized power in Ankara. Initially led de facto by Cemal Madanoğlu, General Cemal Gürsel was brought in as nominal leader. The coup toppled the Democrat Party government without large-scale armed resistance, marking the first military takeover in the Turkish Republic.
Following the coup, a military junta assumed control of Turkey. The Democrat Party was dissolved and its leaders were put on trial. Prime Minister Adnan Menderes and ministers Fatin Rüştü Zorlu and Hasan Polatkan were convicted and executed, establishing a precedent of military intervention in Turkish political life that recurred in subsequent decades.