Ferit Melen

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Ferit Sadi Melen (1906, Van - September 3, 1988, Ankara) was a Turkish civil servant, politician and Prime Minister of Turkey.

After finishing the high school in Bursa, he obtained a degree in finance from the School of Political Science at Ankara University in 1931. Ferit Melen entered the state service right after his graduation, and was sent to Paris, France for an internship at the ministry of finance there. After one year, he returned home and worked in several services of the ministry of finance as inspector. In 1943, he was promoted to general director in the ministry.

Ferit Melen entered politics as deputy of Van Province from "Cumhuriyet Halk Partisi" CHP ("Republican People's Party") following the general elections in 1950. After the end of the legislative term, he did not run for the parliament at the elections in 1954, and returned to his profession to work as a chartered accountant, he practiced until his retirement in 1959. In 1957, he was elected again member of the parliament as deputy of Van.

Ferit Melen was minister of finance in the two cabinets of İsmet İnönü between June 25, 1962 and February 20, 1965 without affiliation to the parliament. He left his party CHP along with 47 other colleagues to co-found on May 12, 1967 "Güven Partisi" GP ("Reliance Party"), which was renamed "Cumhuriyetçi Güven Partisi" CGP ("Republican Reliance Party") after merging with "Cumhuriyetçi Parti" CP ("Republican Party") on February 28, 1973. He served also minister of national defense in the two cabinets of Nihat Erim from March 26, 1971 to May 22, 1972. Following the resignation of Nihat Erim, he was appointed prime minister of a military-approved coalition government that lasted until April 15, 1973. Between March 31, 1975 and June 21, 1977, he served a second time as minister of national defense in the cabinet of Süleyman Demirel.

In the time from June 7, 1964 to October 14, 1979, Ferit Melen was a member of the senate representing Van Province. On July 12, 1980, he was appointed again senator that ended on September 12, 1980 with the military coup. Ferit Melen was elected to Turkish Grand National Assembly in the 1983 elections.

He was succeeded by his son Mithat Melen, a former high ranked civil servant and academics, who in 2002 tried to enter politics by "Milliyetçi Hareket Partisi" MHP ("Nationalist Movement Party").

The airport of Van is named after him.