Celâl Bayar

Mahmut Celâlettin "Celâl" Bayar (16 May 1883 – 22 August 1986) was a Turkish economist and politician who was the president of Turkey from 1950 to 1960. He previously served as the prime minister of Turkey from 1937 to 1939.

Bayar was an ally of Talât's in the Committee of Union and Progress, establishing its İzmir and Bursa branches. He organized the 1914 Greek deportations. Following the declaration of the Republic, he founded much of Turkey's early financial institutions, including the country's first bank, İş Bankası. An advocate of liberal economic policies, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk appointed Bayar prime minister in 1937 to liberalize the economy, until he resigned in 1939 under Atatürk's successor -and his political rival- İsmet İnönü.

Until 1945, he was a member of Republican People's Party (CHP) which was the sole legal party. In 1946, he founded the center-right Democrat Party along with Adnan Menderes, Fuat Köprülü and Refik Koraltan. This began Turkey's multiparty period, which still goes on to this day. A peaceful transfer of power from the CHP to DP happened in the 1950 elections, after which Bayar was elected president. He was re-elected in 1954 and 1957, serving for 10 years as president. In that period, Menderes was his prime minister. Close relations were established with the Western Bloc, and in 1952 Turkey joined NATO. He was criticized for supporting the DP's illegal actions as head of state.

Bayar was overthrown in the 1960 coup d'etat. He was prosecuted for treason in the Yassıada trials for encouraging authoritarianism and corruption as president. He was given the death penalty, but due to his advanced age his sentence was commuted to life-imprisonment. He was released in 1966 after a general amnesty to former DP members. He advocated for the restoration of rights of former politicians associated with the Democrat Party following his release.

He is considered to be the longest-lived former head of state and was the longest-lived state leader until 8 December 2008 (when he was surpassed by Chau Sen Cocsal Chhum). Celâl Bayar died on 22 August 1986 at the age of 103 after a brief illness.