Today in History – 30 April

Uşak incidents

As the despotism of the Democrat Party escalated in April of 1959, CHP President İsmet İnönü embarked upon a tour of the cities across Western Anatolia. CHP supporters named the tour “Büyük Taaruz” (The Great Offensive). İnönü had chosen Uşak, where had had captured Greek General Trikupis during the National War of Independence, as the first stop of his “Great Offensive.”

Departing from Ankara on April 29, 1959, İsmet İnönü reached Uşak on April 30th. However, DP supporters threw a glass at the car in which İnönü was traveling from the train station to the city center. Attempts were made to prevent İnönü from visiting the house the Turkish army used as headquarters during the National Struggle; it was even claimed that the Governor of Uşak had placed a hit order on İsmet İnönü. As he arrived at the train station on May 1, 1959 to leave Uşak, İnönü was hit and injured by one of the stones thrown at him.