ISTANBUL: Adnan Menderes, former prime minister of Turkey, was hanged yesterday, it was officially announced last night.

Earlier, it was announced that Mr Menderes would be hanged as soon as physicians declared him well enough to be taken to the gallows. A spokesman said in the afternoon that as soon as the doctors had declared Mr Menderes physically fit, he would be escorted to the gallows and executed “without further delay”.

The Turkish government was yesterday subjected to considerable pressure from both foreign and domestic sources to grant a reprieve to the former premier. The British Ambassador, Sir Bernard Burrows, was received by President Gen Cemal Gursel and French Ambassador Henri Spitzmuller had seen Foreign Minister Selim Sarper.

These interventions were viewed with disfavour by the young officers’ group which has not concealed its disappointment that 12 of the 15 persons sentenced to death in the mass treason trial have already been reprieved.

Sources said Ismet Inonu talked with Mr Menderes yesterday morning, and later conferred with Mr Sarper and Chief of the General Staff General Sunay.

According to a Vatican City report, the Pope was also believed to have asked President Gursel to show all possible clemency to the condemned politicians.

Mr Menderes, waiting execution of the death sentence against him, regained consciousness yesterday as he recovered from the massive overdose of sleeping pills he had taken that had rendered him unable to appear in court to hear the sentence, an official communiqué announced. Mr Menderes had slept for 36 hours straight. — Agencies