Top Turkish official condemns 1960 coup

Turkey's presidential communications director on Thursday spoke at an international conference to mark the 61st anniversary of the 1960 coup in the country.

Addressing the virtual conference, Fahrettin Altun noted the Turkish nation would always remember and remain grateful to Prime Minister Adnan Menderes, Finance Minister Hasan Polatkan and Foreign Minister Fatin Rüştü Zorlu, who were executed by the military junta after show trials on the island of Yassıada.

The coup [of 1960] paved the way for military coup by memorandum in 1971, coup of 1980 and the military memorandum of 1997, he said.

"Democrat Party and its successor social-political movements represented national will against tutelage regime. However, these movements were confronted through coups," said Altun.

He underscored that the coups also undermined Turkey's economic development and foreign policy interests.