Celal Yardımcı

He was born Hüseyin Celal in Doğubayazıt, Ağrı, in 1911.[1] His parents divorced in 1929.[2] He had seven siblings.[2]

He graduated from Istanbul High School in 1928 and received a degree in law from Istanbul University in 1934.[1][2] During his studies at Istanbul University he also took courses in French and Greek languages.[2]

Yardımcı started his career working as a clerk at the Istanbul Courthouse.[3] Then he worked as a lawyer and a journalist.[3] He joined the Democrat Party.[1] He was a member of the Parliament and represented Ağrı in the legislatures of the 9th, 10th and 11th between 1950 and 1960.[4] He also served as the deputy speaker of the Parliament.[1] He was appointed minister of state to the 20th cabinet and 22nd cabinet.[3] His first term in office was between 8 April 1953 and 17 May 1954, and the second was from 9 December 1955 to 15 November 1957.[5] In the 21st cabinet and 23rd cabinet he was the minister of education.[3] Yardımcı served in the post from 17 May 1954 to 9 December 1955 and from 25 November 1957 to 22 May 1959.[5] During his first term as the education minister Maarif Colleges were launched in 1955.[5] These schools were one of the consequences of the improved relations between Turkey and the United States and provided English and Turkish courses.[5]

In the 23rd cabinet he served as the minister of justice between 3 April and 27 May 1960.[3] All of these cabinets were led by Prime Minister Adnan Menderes.[3] Yardımcı was serving as the minister of justice when a military coup occurred on 27 May 1960.[2] Immediately after the coup he was arrested and tried at the Yassıada court and sentenced to life imprisonment.[1][2] During the trials lasted between 14 October 1960 and 15 September 1961 his lawyer was his sister, Mesude Varol.[2] In the Yassıada prison he stayed in the same room with Fatin Rüştü Zorlu who was the minister of foreign affairs in the Menderes cabinets.[2] Zorlu would be executed immediately after the trials on 16 September.[2] Yardımcı was first jailed in Kayseri and then in Istanbul and Ankara.[1]

He was released from the prison in January 1965 when he was pardoned by the President Cemal Gürsel due to his health problems.[1] Then he worked as a lawyer.[3] When former DP politicians were permitted to join political parties in 1975 Yardımcı became a member of the Justice Party headed by Süleyman Demirel and was elected as a deputy from Istanbul serving in the 16th legislature.[1]

Yardımcı was married to Harika Yardımcı and had two children.[1] He died in Istanbul on 10 January 1986[3] and was buried in Zincirlikuyu cemetery.[1]