Hıstory of 50-60’s Turkısh Polıtıcs

          

          

             Humanity has always produced some sciences form beginning of the life. People improve their abilities, skills with these year by year. One of the important sciences is politics. They have used the politics in every time period. Because, humanity need to govern by someone. Every nation picked different ways of political view for the benefit of themselves. In this article, we will examine a specific time and a nation which played important role in the progress of the world. This country is Turkey and 1950-1960 political events. The Turkey always acts like a little child and doesn’t have stable emotion or character. In this country, the chaotic environment never left from this place and the political movement generally can’t reach reflection of their people. Therefore, the politics of 1950-1960 can be great example and summary for this country.

           First of all, The Turkey catched a great and perfect starting in economy, social life, modernization after the Independence War. The politics couldn’t evolve multiparty system until the 1946. In 1946, there is a different party which Democratic Party (DP) were founded by some politicians. Before this party established, these politicians were a member of one of the Republican People’s Party (RPP). The General President of DP is Adnan Menderes. Also, there is story about his starting of politics life. One day, He met with Mustafa Kemal Atatürk who founder of Turkey and President of RPP. After this meeting, his friend voiced to him and sad ‘’Best wishes! You became a Member of Parliament from Aydın’’. So, he had a role much time in RPP. After the WW2, the world was changing rapidly and poor economy was affecting every of country in the world so lots of problems such as poverty occurred in Turkey. DP wanted to change of Turkey’s future so they joined 1946 elections but they couldn’t win. However, they started to prepare for 1950 elections.

          One of the important events was occurred in 1950. The single party regime was end after 27 years and DP won the election. So, this event wasn’t expected for RPP, the Ulus Newspaper writing manager describes this event as follow: When we are following the result of elections, we heard that RPP got votes more than DP in one of the Anatolian Village. So, we started to celebrate of winning of 1950 elections but RPP lost the election at end of the day so we didn’t know what we will publish on newspaper title. This story can be summary of habit about the single party regime. Before the election, DP present to people that more democracy, liberal economy, representativeness of every citizen and freedom so they started to do what they present. So, they continued to do Kemalist and Islamist reforms together. For example, the adhan was reading in Turkish, they changed to original form (Arabic) at mosques and they did more democratic movement because their purpose was representativeness of every citizen.

          The economical and international aim was having liberal economy and having Americanist policy because the Soviet Union had already far away to Turkey. In 1950, Turkey send soldiers to Korean War and opened door which NATO. Also, Turkey was against to Soviet Union side. With Truman Doctrine, Turkey got some helps for developing. The name of helping was Marshall Aids. This Doctrine was against to Soviet Union and communism so this time was called the cold war time. These aids such as corn, agricultural machinery sent to countries which under the threat of communism. In this way, Turkey had a pretty change to development in agricultural activities and increasing international trade. The number of export and import level increased day by day with liberal economy and some bourgeoisie could improve. All these activities open the connection of the global economy.

         In single party regime times, state was directly RPP so it caused some problems such as using the buildings, newspaper, public homes and so on. DP took decision about these problems so these institutions, buildings was taken from RPP. This event also caused the first steps of polarization. At this time, there was elections of 1954. DP increased votes and felt more powerful. So, DP couldn’t aware of becoming a typical wining drunkenness and they started to use way which is single party regime. Some of journalists, intellectuals and academics saw these problems and they were arrested by DP. This case was not normal and suit their ideology and some of the DP elites began to oppress the opposition. Also, some of the member of DP didn’t please about that. For this reason, they had some problems and they just were quit DP for making their voices heard by setting up a new party which Freedom Part (HP). Additionally, the economy was not going well and military was seeing and follow everything what DP doing. The military was supporting to RPP because of the İsmet İnönü who hero of the Independence War. For this reason, the military were feeling unrest. Because of the whole these unfair behaviors, the polarization level was increasing day by day.

         In this part, the one of the worst black stains happened in Turkey History. The calendar showed up 6th- 7th September of 1955. The Turkish people showed the chaotic side of them, people started to behave to non-Muslim people unmercifully. Why they began these kinds of acts. Everything started with fake newspaper news which Greeks bombed to Ataturk’s house in Selanik so this reason was enough to encourage to nationalist side of Turkish people. They began to harm and burn shops, homes, churches and schools of non-Muslims. Even they killed people. According to official sources, 4 thousand 214 houses, 1000 workplaces, 73 churches and 25 schools destroyed and 15 non-Muslims killed by the Turkish people in the context of the 6th-7th September Events. It is called Turkish Kristallnacht. Therefore, Turkey prestige harmed in global area and migration of the minorities was increase suddenly. Furthermore, the Turkish economy affected so badly and state had to pay money to non-Muslim for their loss. It was harmful for Turkish culture because The Turks always have offered a peaceful and equal environment for foreign people since the Ottoman Empire. Moreover, Muslim bourgeoise suddenly (?) took the non-Muslim's shops, houses etc. After whole events, people learnt that the bomb was placed by the Turkish intelligence unit.

          In 1957 elections, DP votes decreased a little bit so it was sign for the DP about the polarization was increasing day by day because of the economic problems and oppressive management. Turkish people almost divided into two parts, which are RPP and DP, and the first interventionist groups came up among the military. There lots of centers was established about the polarization, people organized each other on basis what their views. DP founded the Homeland Front Centers in everywhere of Turkey. One day, people heard that Ismet İnönü was injured at Uşak and there lots of attacks happened against to RPP members so it caused the 555k Protests. Why these protests got this name because protests happened at 5^th May of 1960 at 5 o’clock. The military also was following these events nervously so the idea of coup d’etat was increasing. Finally, the coup d’etat was happened by ununified and non-monolithic military. There was no connection between movements and Alparslan Türkeş gave this example for this coup d’etat ‘’When I arrived to radio station to read coup report, it was incomplete. I completed the report at radio station than I read it.’’. Additionaly, military arrested to some DP elites and all civil political institutions suspended. After this coup d’etat, people showed love to military for unremitting 3 days. Actually, the military didn’t know what they will do, they were aware of that in short time. Until the 1 March 1961, the military rules were valid.

          To sum up, 1950-1960 events show us that everything can change in a little while in Turkey. Every year can bring some problems, events. In my opinion, these years can be reflection of the Turkey. We sometimes find a good starting but end of the day, we turn to old times. When Turkey say that this is time to change and develop, it changes because of unknown reasons. Maybe it can be specific characteristic of Turkey. One day, I hope that it will change and Turkey will get what deserve but I know that it definitely will be so hard.