Ahmet Tokus
 Ahmet Tokus    (politician) | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | 1919 |
| Died | May 28, 1990 (Age 71) |
| Nationality | Turkish |
| Alma mater | Istanbul Technical University |
Turkish politician, founder of Middle East Technical University. | |
Ahmet Asım Tokuş was a Turkish politician. He is the founder of the Ankara Middle East Technical University (METU), started in 1956.
Background
Tokuş was a graduate of Istanbul Technical University, Department of Civil Engineering. He was elected to parliament in 1950, at age 31, and sat there for 10 years, for the province of Antalya.
Founding of METU
With Turkish budget constraints, the money for the Middle East Technical University came from the United States. The university was envisaged to contribute to the development of Turkey and the surrounding countries of the Middle East, Balkans, and Caucasus, by creating a skilled workforce in the natural and social sciences. "At that time we established the first Turkish lobby in the Senate of America. I gave a speech at the Senate. All the senators gave a standing ovation. I had close relationship with around 60 senators...America agreed to give the money a year later"[1]
Road proponent
He later worked at the Railway Construction Directorate.
Tokuş was a proponent of the claim, popularized by the reports of the American experts, that railways somehow lacked the “flexibility and extensiveness of highway transportation” and gave it expression in Parliamentary debates: if priority had been given to roads during the early days of the Republic, he argued, the nation’s “economic visage” would be much more developed by the 1950s.[2]
He was married and had three children.
Event Participated in
| Event | Start | End | Location(s) | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bilderberg/1959 | 18 September 1959 | 20 September 1959 | Turkey Yesilkoy | The 8th Bilderberg and the first in Turkey. 60 guests. |
