Fatin Rüştü Zorlu (20 April 1910 – 16 September 1961) was a Turkish

diplomat A diplomat (from ; romanization, romanized ''diploma'') is a person appointed by a state (polity), state, International organization, intergovernmental, or Non-governmental organization, nongovernmental institution to conduct diplomacy with one ...

and

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. He was executed by hanging after the coup d'état in 1960 along with two other politicians.

Early life and education

He was born on 20 April 1910 in

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to a family originating from the village of Zor, Artvin in northeastern

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. After finishing high school at Galatasaray High School, Zorlu was educated in

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at the Institut d'études politiques de Paris,

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and in law at the

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Political career

Returning to Turkey, Zorlu began his career as a diplomat in 1932 in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. From 1938 on, he served at various posts in embassies and consulates in

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(Switzerland),

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(France),

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(

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(

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) and at the ministry in Ankara as well. Following Turkey's joining of

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on 18 February 1952 he was appointed ambassador to NATO at the

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in Paris. In 1954, Zorlu entered politics and was elected to the Turkish Grand National Assembly as the deputy of Çanakkale for the Democratic Party. He served as deputy prime minister between 1954 and 1955 and as minister of state in 1955. In 1955 he was also acting minister of foreign affairs and participated in the Tripartite Conference on

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in London in June that year. Zorlu left the office in the late 1955. He, Sıtkı Yırcalı and Hasan Polatkan were investigated by a Parliamentary commission in January 1956 due to the allegations of their involvelment in importing East German trucks and tires of no value and a general neglect of their duty. Zorlu was appointed minister for foreign affairs in 1957 and held the post until 27 May 1960 when the

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staged a coup and ousted the government of Prime Minister Adnan Menderes. In 1959, he participated along with Adnan Menderes in the Bilderberg Meeting in Yeşilköy,

. It is rumoured that the coup might have something to do with that meeting. During his tenure as minister of foreign affairs Turkey applied for the membership of the

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in 1959.

Arrest and execution

He was arrested along with other party members, charged with violating the

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, and put on

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on the island of Yassıada. His roommate in the Yassıada prison was Celal Yardımcı, a fellow party member and minister of justice. He and Menderes were accused by the court of planning the Istanbul Pogrom. Though both of them rejected the claims, it is believed by scholars that Menderes assented to the organization of protests in İstanbul against the Greeks, but the extent of knowledge of Zorlu, who had been in London for the conference, is unclear. According to Zorlu's lawyer at the Yassiada trial, a mob of 300,000 was marshaled in a radius of around the city for the attacks. Zorlu was sentenced to death and executed by hanging on the island of İmralı on 16 September 1961 along with Adnan Menderes and Hasan Polatkan. He approached the gallows calmly, helped the hangman to lay the noose around his neck.

Personal life

Zorlu married Emel Aras on 29 October 1933. She was the daughter of Tevfik Rüştü Aras who was serving as the minister of foreign affairs at that time. Fatin Rüştü Zorlu and Emel Aras had a daughter, Sevin Zorlu (1936–2006), who was a journalist.

Legacy

Many years after his death his grave was moved to a

mausoleum A mausoleum is an external free-standing building constructed as a monument enclosing the burial chamber of a deceased person or people. A mausoleum without the person's remains is called a cenotaph. A mausoleum may be considered a type o ...

in İstanbul on 17 September 1990 along with the graves of the two other cabinet members hanged.

References

External links

* * Biyografi.info
''Biography of Fatin Rüştü Zorlu''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Zorlu, Fatin Rustu 1910 births 1961 deaths Politicians from Istanbul People from Constantinople vilayet Democrat Party (Turkey, 1946–1960) politicians 20th-century Turkish diplomats Ministers of foreign affairs of Turkey Deputy prime ministers of Turkey Deputies of Çanakkale Permanent representatives of Turkey to NATO Galatasaray High School alumni People who have received posthumous pardons Members of the 21st government of Turkey Members of the 23rd government of Turkey Members of the 22nd government of Turkey Grand Crosses 1st class of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany People expelled from public office Burials at Topkapı Cemetery Istanbul pogrom Yassıada trials executions