ANKARA, TURKEY – JUNE, 1926 In 1926, a plan to assassinate Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder of the modern Republic of Turkey, was uncovered. It was the so-called Izmir Assassination Plot, organized by a group of former politicians and members of opposition structures linked to the former Committee of Union and Progress. The aim was to kill Atatürk during his planned visit to the city of Izmir, but the plan was exposed before the act itself, and the main perpetrators were arrested.
Mustafa Kemal Atatürk
After the trial, severe punishments followed. Approximately fifteen main conspirators were executed, including key organizers of the assassination attempt, such as Ziya Hurşit, Şükrü Bey, and other key figures involved in preparing the attack. Other defendants received long prison sentences or were sent into exile. The trial had not only a criminal dimension but also a strong political impact and strengthened the power of the new republican regime.
