Erdal İnönü

Infobox_Scientist
name = Erdal İnönü

|200px
caption =
birth_date = birth date|1926|6|6|df=yes
birth_place = Ankara, Turkey
death_date = Death date and age|2007|10|31|1926|6|6|df=yes
death_place = Houston, United States
nationality =
field = Physics
work_institution = Sabancı University
Scientific and Technological Research Council (TÜBİTAK)
known_for = Group contractions, İnönü-Wigner contraction
footnotes =

Professor Dr. Erdal İnönü (June 6, 1926 – October 31, 2007) was a Turkish physicist and politician. He was Turkey's second president İsmet İnönü's son. Leader of the Social Democratic People's Party between 1983 and 1993, he served as Deputy Prime Minister in two governments between 1991 and 1993 and as Minister of Foreign Affairs for approximately six months in 1995.

Early life

He graduated from the Physics Department of the Faculty of Sciences of Ankara University in 1947 and received his PhD from California Institute of Technology in 1951. Upon his return to Turkey, İnönü worked at first as assistant professor in Ankara University. Between 1964-1974, he was professor of physics and the first Chairman of the Department of Theoretical Physics at the Middle East Technical University (1960-1966). He initiated research on neutron transport during that period. Between 1969-1971, he was the Dean of the university's Faculty of Art and Sciences. He served as president of METU between 1970-1971. In 1974, İnönü moved to Bosphorus University in Istanbul and lectured there until his venture into politics when he co-founded the Social Democratic People's Party in 1983.

Political career

İnönü's party, SHP, was a social democratic political entity. It was one of the parties whihci weighed the heaviest in Turkey's political scene during the late 1980s and early 1990s. İnönü challenged the liberal conservative party of Turgut Özal, ANAP, both in 1987 and 1991 elections. One of the main reasons why SHP could not win an election was the division of the moderate left votes between SHP and DSP, the party of the former CHP leader Bülent Ecevit. Erdal İnönü was also a member of the Socialist International. He joined discussions as the Deputy Chairman of the organization.

Erdal İnönü was deputy Prime Minister in the two coalition governments formed between center-right DYP and SHP, which were led by Demirel at first (from 1991 to 1993) and when Demirel became President, by Tansu Çiller, in a unity largely caused by their resentment at the time against the outgoing Motherland Party [cite book | title = Communication Research and Media Science in Europe: Perspectives for Research and Academic Training in Europe's Changing Media Reality ISBN 3110172151|author= Angela Schorr, William Campbell, Michael Schenk |publisher=Walter de Gruyter| year= 2003|language=Turkish] .

Later life

He was the 2004 recipient of the Wigner medal, administered by the Group Theory and Fundamental Physics Foundation, for his contributions to group contractions. İnönü was also known for his work on the history of science in the Republic of Turkey and the Ottoman Empire. He lectured at Sabanci University and the Feza Gürsey Institute from 2004 to 2007.

Death

Erdal İnönü died in Houston, Texas, USA on 31 October 2007, where he was being treated for leukaemia. His body was flown to Turkey and was buried at the Zincirlikuyu Cemetery in İstanbul on November 4, 2007 following a state funeral held before the building of Turkish Grand National Assembly in Ankara the previous day and then an Islamic funeral in the Teşvikiye Mosque in İstanbul.

References

External links

* [http://www.mfa.gov.tr/MFA_tr/Bakanlik/DisisleriBakanlariListesi/ErdalInonu.htm Biography] from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
* [http://www.onlinefizik.com/content/view/379/120/ Interview with Erdal Inonu about Physics]
* [http://www.milliyet.com.tr/2007/11/01/guncel/agun.html Right after his passing away, news inculde also a picture gallery]

Persondata
NAME= İnönü, Erdal
ALTERNATIVE NAMES=
SHORT DESCRIPTION= Turkish physicist and politician
DATE OF BIRTH= 6 June, 1926
PLACE OF BIRTH= Ankara, Turkey
DATE OF DEATH= 31 October, 2007
PLACE OF DEATH= Houston, USA