İnönü, İsmet, << EE noh noo, ihs MEHT >> (1884-1973), was one of Turkey’s leading statesmen of the 1900’s. He served as president of Turkey from 1938 to 1950. During his presidency, Inonu made several important reforms. He permitted the introduction of a two-party political system, and he relaxed government control of the press. Inonu also served as prime minister from 1923 to 1937, except for a brief period, and from 1961 to 1965. He served as leader of the Republican People’s Party from 1938 to 1972, when he resigned from that post.
Inonu was born in Izmir. He graduated from the Military Staff College in Istanbul in 1906 and advanced rapidly through the ranks of the Turkish Army. In 1918, he was named undersecretary for war. Inonu joined the Turkish nationalist movement in 1920. In 1921, he led nationalist troops to victory over the Greeks at the town of Inonu, near Eskisehir. He later adopted the name of this town as his last name.
