Today in History – 31 October / 1 November

Erdal İnönü dies

İsmet and Mevhibe İnönü’s third son Erdal İnönü was born in Ankara on June 6, 1926. After graduating from Ankara Gazi High School and Ankara University’s School of Science, Erdal İnönü went to the States to complete his Master’s and PhD at California Institute of Technology. Upon his return, he began working as an assistant at Ankara University. He served as a professor of theoretical physics at METU between 1964 and 1974 and briefly as President of the university during the 1970-71 academic year. In 1974, Erdal İnönü transferred to Boğaziçi University and continued to teach at this institution until he went into politics as the founding president of Social Democracy Party (SODEP) in 1983.

Erdal İnönü’s career was filled with many academic and political accomplishments. He contributed towards the foundation of TÜBİTAK and was the founding director of the institutions’ Fundamental Sciences Research Institute (TBAE; Feza Gürsey Institute). He was the recipient of the Wigner Medal in 2004. Apart from being elected deputy in the 17th, 18th, and 19th terms, he also served as Deputy Prime Minister (1991-1993), Minister of Foreign Affairs (1995), and president of Social Democrat People’s Party (SHP; 1986-1993). He was also the vice president of Socialist International.

An exemplary man in the fields of science and politics in Turkey, Erdal İnönü died on October 31, 2007.