İnönü commemorated on death anniversary

ANKARA 

İsmet İnönü, the second president and one of the founders of the Turkish Republic, was commemorated on the 48th anniversary of his passing in a ceremony held at his grave in Anıtkabir, also known as Mustafa Kemal Atatürk’s Mausoleum, on Dec. 25.

Members of İnönü’s family, main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, and Bilal Şentürk, the general manager of Personnel and Principles at the Presidential Office, were at the ceremony in addition to members of the Turkish Armed Forces.

After participants laid wreaths on the tomb, a minute of silence was observed, followed by the recital of the Turkish National Anthem.

Born in the Aegean province of İzmir in 1884, İnönü rose to several ranks in the Ottoman army rapidly, becoming the leading figure of critical victories during the War of Independence.

After having served as prime minister multiple times until the death of Atatürk, the founder of modern Türkiye, İnönü was appointed as the president from 1938 to 1950.

He also held the first multiparty elections in the republic’s history, beginning Türkiye’s multiparty period.

İnönü, who was the leader of the CHP until 1972, died in 1973 at the age of 89 and is interred opposite to Atatürk’s mausoleum in Ankara.