The death sentence was commuted into aggravated life imprisonment when it was scrapped those years ago

Turkey has a traumatic experience with capital punishment. Adnan Menderes, who served as Prime Minister for almost a decade during the 50s, and two other ministers – Foreign Minister Fatin Rüştü Zorlu and Finance Minister Hasan Polatkan – were executed in 1961, a year after of the military coup of May 27, 1960. Three revolutionary student leaders, Deniz Gezmiş, Yusuf Aslan and Hüseyin İnan, have also been executed in 1972, a year after the military intervention of 12 March, 1971. The military coup of September 12, 1980, was also followed by many death sentences. The execution of 17-year-old revolutionary student Erdal Eren continues to cause outrage today.