Erdal İnönü
Erdal İnönü (6 June 1926 – 31 October 2007) was a Turkish theoretical physicist and politician who served as the interim prime minister of Turkey between 16 May and 25 June 1993. He also served as the deputy prime minister of Turkey from 1991 to 1993 and as the minister of foreign affairs from March to October 1995. He served as the leader of the Social Democracy Party (SODEP) from 1983 to 1985 and later the Social Democratic Populist Party (SHP) from 1986 to 1993. He was the son of the second president of Turkey, İsmet İnönü.
Erdal Inönü | |
|---|---|
Inönü in 1941 | |
| Acting Prime Minister of Turkey | |
| In office 16 May 1993 – 25 June 1993 | |
| President | Süleyman Demirel |
| Preceded by | Süleyman Demirel |
| Succeeded by | Tansu Çiller |
| Minister of Foreign Affairs | |
| In office 27 March 1995 – 6 October 1995 | |
| Prime Minister | Tansu Çiller |
| Preceded by | Murat Karayalçın |
| Succeeded by | Ali Coşkun Kırca |
| Deputy Prime Minister of Turkey | |
| In office 20 November 1991 – 12 September 1993 | |
| Prime Minister | Süleyman Demirel |
| Preceded by | Ekrem Pakdemirli |
| Succeeded by | Murat Karayalçın |
| Leader of the Social Democratic Populist Party | |
| In office 30 May 1986 – 12 September 1993 | |
| Preceded by | Aydın Güven Gürkan |
| Succeeded by | Murat Karayalçın |
| Leader of the Social Democracy Party | |
| In office 18 December 1983 – 3 November 1985 | |
| Preceded by | Cezmi Kartay |
| Succeeded by | Position abolished |
| In office 26 May 1983 – 23 June 1983 | |
| Preceded by | Position established |
| Succeeded by | Cezmi Kartay |
| Member of the Grand National Assembly | |
| In office 28 September 1986 – 24 December 1995 | |
| Constituency | İzmir (1986, 1987, 1991) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 6 June 1926 Ankara, Turkey |
| Died | 31 October 2007 (aged 81) Houston, Texas, United States |
| Political party | Social Democracy Party (SODEP), Social Democratic Populist Party (SHP), Republican People's Party (CHP) |
| Relations | İsmet İnönü (father) |
| Alma mater | |
| Profession | Physicist, politician |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Theoretical physics |
| Institutions |
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| Thesis | Interpretation of large ionization bursts observed at high altitudes in high pressure chambers under thick shields (1952) |
| Doctoral advisor | Robert F. Christy |
İnönü initially founded SODEP in 1983 with the intention of contesting the 1983 general election. However, the National Security Council, which had been established following the 1980 military coup, banned İnönü from standing for office. Standing down as chairman in order to be replaced by a politician that could seek office, İnönü was succeeded by Cezmi Kartay. However, SODEP was banned completely from contesting the election, resulting in İnönü taking over as leader for a second time shortly afterwards. His party contested the 1984 local elections and came second with 23.4% of the vote. SODEP merged with the People's Party in 1985 and İnönü became the leader of the new Social Democratic Populist Party (SHP) in 1986. In the 1986 parliamentary by-elections, the SHP came third with 22.7% of the vote and İnönü was elected as a member of Parliament for İzmir. He was the only successful SHP candidate.
Following the 1991 general election, the SHP formed a coalition with Süleyman Demirel's True Path Party (DYP) and İnönü became Deputy Prime Minister. He briefly served as the acting prime minister in 1993 after Demirel was elected president. After the DYP elected Tansu Çiller as their leader and she formed a government, İnönü continued as deputy prime minister until he resigned as party leader in 1993. He later served as foreign minister in 1995 until he stepped down as an MP in the 1995 general election.