Assassination attempt against İnönü
Republican People’s party (CHP) leader and Prime Minister İsmet İnönü, who came to power after the coup of May 27th, suffered an assassination attempt on February 21, 1964. Although three of the four bullets of the assassin hit İnönü’s official car, his attempt failed.
The incident took place when İnönü left his office after a morning meeting at the Prime Ministry with Minister of Foreign Affairs Feridun Cemal Erkin and Martial Law Commander Cemal Tural. Getting in his car as he was talking to the journalists waiting for him, İnönü was shot at just as the car was about to move. The assassin, who was captured at the site, turned out to be an electrician from Kayseri named Mesut Suna.
The defendant had circumvented the close protection, which was rather loose at the time, with the pretense of kissing İnönü’s hand; however, the bullets of the small caliber gun he was using were lodged in the body of the unarmed car. During his interrogation, the defended stated that he had attempted the assassination to seek revenge for the coup d’état of May 27, 1960. Following a trial, the defendant was sentenced to twenty years and six months in prison.
