After to the 1960 Turkish coup d'état, the generals took control of the country and prime minister Adnan Menderes, along with two of his ministers, were executed by hanging for violating the constitution, and many Democratic Party members were imprisoned and banned from political life. Furthermore, the Turkish military declared its allegiance to NATO and CENTO, received over a billion dollars in aid from the United States, and later forced more than half the officer corps of the Turkish Military into retirement. As a result, about 90 percent of the generals, 75 percent of the colonels, 50 percent of the lieutenant colonels and 30 percent of the majors were discharged from the army.