A contemporary of the Turkish epoch

This man was born in the Ottoman Empire in 1883, when the country was powerful and nothing betokened its collapse in the First World War. Celal Bayar was born in Bursa region, not in Istanbul, a city, so tightly connected with his life. He studied well and got a job in a bank. At that time, it was an excellent perspective.

When Bayar grew up, he became interested in politics, as many other young people. The result of this interest was his joining the party of the Young Turks, who wanted to bring the Ottoman Empire to date in order to save the country. The party was popular in the Ottoman Empire, and the fact, that Bayar was assigned the general secretary of the party division in Izmir, shows, how much his associates appreciated him. By the way, he succeeded not only as a politician, but as the head of the local authorities as well. Due to him in the city there appeared a girls' school and a professional school for railroad workers. The young executive was noticed, and Bayar was recommended a candidate for a post of a deputy. He got this post in 1920, and joined Kemal Ataturk, who was founding the young Turkish Republic.

The first Banker

When the Turkish Republic was founded on the ruins of the Ottoman Empire, the country needed qualified specialists, for it was necessary to get the work in all organizations and institutions going. Bayar was given the position of the main banker of the country, and managed to do his work excellently. After the public service, this young, but already experienced, man opened his own bank and conducted it for some time. When Ataturk died, Bayar withdrew from politics, because he did not agree with the policy of the second president of Turkey Mustafa Inonu.

The third President

However, Bayar had to come back. After the death of Ataturk, the country experienced a financial recession, and President Inonu, who did not take into account the opinions of the politicians, aggravated the situation. Bayar, who considered himself a patriot, decided to come to power, and made it with great succes. His Democratic Party of Turkey won elections and got 400 seats in the Parliament from 480! The fact, that his party got nearly the same number of votes during the 10 years of his rule, shows that the Turks loved their third President.

Coup d'etat

In 1960 Turkey went through a coup d'etat. The mutineers arrested the government of the country, and took them to an island in the Sea of Marmara. The military accused the politicians of corruption, and all of them, including Bayar, were sentenced to capital punishment, but the death penalty was replaced with detention in jail. In some time they were discharged from prison, and later rehabilitated. Despite the requests to return to politics, since that time Bayar refused the power till his death. He died, when he was 103 years old, in Istanbul, the city, he loved so much.