Factors that affected social polarization in the period leading to the september 12

The 1970s in Turkey correspond to a period where intense political and social tensions occurred, involving government crises, economic problems, and incidents of anarchy and terrorism. Factors such as rural-to-urban migration, the student movements, the rise of labor movements and union activities, led to changes in Turkey's social structure and resulted in intense ideological polarization among different social groups. The polarization based on the right-left wing ideologies gradually acquired sectarian and mass characteristics, leading to the loss of a cultural consensus that holds society together. Short-lived and frequently changing coalition governments, along with the security weaknesses of law enforcement forces, deepened the polarization, causing anarchy uncontrollable across the country. Acts of violence became a part of daily life, and the continuous violence caused the emergence of a widespread fear culture in society. Polarization spread into every area of daily life, and the entire country was almost completely divided into two opposing camps. In some of the uncontrolled areas, places called liberated zones were formed, and the country faced being disunited. All of these incidents created circumstances that led to the September 12 Military Intervention. This study aims to identify the social, economic, and societal factors behind the polarization during the mentioned period. Another objective is to shed light on the structural origins of the polarization without attributing social discrimination solely to leftright ideological conflicts. Therefore, the background of the September 12 period is interpreted and evaluated in a complete manner. In this context, periodical newspapers, parliament minutes, and primary and secondary sources are analyzed using the literature review method, which is one of the qualitative research approaches. Keywords: Anarchy, Polarization, Political Instability, Liberated zones, September 12 Military Coup