Ismet inonu

İsmet İnönü was a Turkish army officer and statesman who served as the second president of Turkey from 11 November 1938 to 22 May 1950, and as its prime minister three times: from 1923 to 1924, 1925 to 1937, and 1961 to 1965. He was also the leader of the Republican People's Party from 1938 to 1972. He is acknowledged by many as Mustafa Kemal Atatürk's right-hand man, with their friendship going back to the Caucasus campaign. In the Greco-Turkish War of 1919–1922, he served as the first chief of the General Staff from 1922 to 1924 for the regular Turkish army, during which he commanded forces during the First and Second Battles of İnönü. He was also the chief negotiator of the Treaty of Lausanne, which recognized the sovereignty of the new Republic of Turkey. As president, he consolidated the single-party rule of the Republican People's Party and steered Turkey through the difficult years of World War II, maintaining a policy of neutrality and avoiding direct involvement in the conflict. He also initiated a series of reforms to modernize and secularize Turkey, such as the adoption of the Latin alphabet, the abolition of the caliphate, the introduction of civil law, and the promotion of women's rights. After losing the 1950 general election to the Democrat Party, he became the leader of the opposition and criticized the government's policies on foreign affairs, economic development, and civil liberties. He returned to power in 1961 after the 1960 coup d'état, and formed a coalition government with the Justice Party and the New Turkey Party. He resigned in 1965 after losing the confidence of the parliament, and remained as the leader of the Republican People's Party until 1972, when he retired from active politics. He died on 25 December 1973 in Ankara, and was buried in Anıtkabir, next to Atatürk. He is widely regarded as one of the founding fathers of the Turkish Republic and a national hero.