Today in History – 4 May

Topkapı Incidents

When CHP leader İsmet İnönü arrived in İstanbul on May 4, 1959, he was first stopped by Traffic Police Director Celal Kosova in front of the Topkapı walls and was later attacked by supporters of the Democrat Party. The insufficient security units remained helpless vis-à-vis the attack and soldiers intervened upon the orders of Major Kenan Bayraktar; the road was cleared and İnönü’s car was rescued, unharmed.

Following the ordeal, the Menderes government issued a media blackout. After the coup d’état of 1960, a lawsuit was filed on the grounds that the Topkapı Incident was a premeditated attempt at assassination. During the hearings at Yass?ada between December 2 and April 17, 1961, 60 defendants including Celal Bayar, Adnan Menderes, ministers, and deputies were put on trial for provoking the public for attempted assassination. 43 defendants were acquitted and 17 were sentenced to prison.