In the second half of the 1950s, with the impact of the economic depression, the DP pursued increasingly authoritarian policies and put heavy pressure on the opposition. It was under his presidency that the İstanbul Pogrom took place on 6–7 September 1955. Bayar also had a decisive influence in encouraging authoritarianism by the Democrats. 1960 coup and imprisonment On 27 May 1960 the armed forces staged a coup d'etat. Bayar first tried to resist the officers who came to arrest him at Çankaya Mansion on the morning of the coup and then tried to commit suicide by holding the pistol in his jacket pocket to his temple. However the soldiers were more agile than the 77-year-old Bayar and managed to take the gun from him. Bayar was arrested along with other Democrats, and was tried at the High Court of Justice in Yassıada on charges of "treason" and "violating the constitution". He tried to commit suicide agaın with a waist belt while he was imprisoned in Yassıada but failed. He was sentenced to death on 15 September, 1961. The National Unity Committee approved the death sentence for Menderes, Zorlu and Polatkan, but the punishment for Bayar and other twelve party members was commuted to life imprisonment. Bayar was transferred from Yassıada to Kayseri Prison but he was released on 7 November 1964 due to ill health. Due to ill health he was brought to Ankara for treatment on 14 February, 1962 and was taken back to prison in Kayseri five days later. Under pressure from ex-DP supporters, Bayar's sentence was suspended by the government for a period of six months due to his health issues and he was released on 22 March 1963. Bayar came to Ankara the next day, and was greeted by a large convoy and crowd. This enthusiastic welcome caused chaos in the streets, with protests going so far as vandalizing the headquarters of the successor of the DP, the Justice Party, Bayar's house, and the newspaper headquarters of Yeni İstanbul. Concerns arose that the Justice Party would be shut down.The decision was eventually made to postpone Bayar's release from prison on 28 March. After being under surveillance in Ankara Hospital for 6 months, he was sent back to Kayseri Prison (5 October, 1963), although there was no change in his health status. He remained in Kayseri Prison until 8 November 1964, when he was again released