Political, socio-economic and cultural life in Yozgat during the Democrat Party government

In the decade of 1950 to 1960, when the transition to a multi-party system in Türkiye was completed and the Democrat Party was in power, significant changes took place in administrative, economic, political, social, and cultural fields in the province of Yozgat. The reflections of this process of transition in Yozgat constitute the main subject of the present thesis. The DP's candidates won the 1950, 1954, and 1957 elections in Yozgat. The DP's power struggle with the Republican People's Party (CHP) during its ten-year rule was also felt in Yozgat. The thesis consists of two parts. The first part dealt with the historical background of Yozgat before the Democrat Party, the process of the Democrat Party's coming to power, the press, educational, and cultural activities, community centres, deputies, demographic situation, administrative structure, and immigrants. The second part of the thesis discussed the investments made in the banks and their activities, livestock, mining, industry, and the city, which made an impact on Yozgat's financial life during the mentioned decade. As for the field of industry and commerce, the subject matters treated include Yozgat's factories, workshops, power plants, increase of production in agriculture, agricultural training courses, and the impact and importance of tractors on agriculture. It is determined that the initiative for improving Yozgat in economic, social, and cultural fields with contributions from the State increased significantly during the Democrat Party government, and thus Yozgat developed in all respects. The main sources of the thesis include the Republican Archive of the Turkish Directorate of State Archives, the TGNA Archive, the Presidential Archive of the Republic of Türkiye as well as some materials obtained from the National Library, including Yozgat's local newspaper of that period, records kept by the Turkish Statistical Institute, and relevant research works and journals.