A general overview of Turkish politics in the 1990s: The New Democracy Movement as a case study

This study aims at trying to understand the New Democracy Movement (NDM), while keeping in mind the characteristics of Turkish politics in the 1990s. In the first part of the study comprising of two parts, the general characteristics of Turkish politics of the 1990s will be tried to be revealed. In the second part, we will evaluate the NDM according to the frame we have drawn in the first section. The New Democracy Movement introduced itself to the public in Turkey on the occasion of the meetings, what we can also define as a sort of "brain storming", which was held in April 1993 and hosted by businessman Cem Boyner. Having increased its popularity towards the end of 1993, NDM had emerged as a civil society movement but transformed into an "unofficial political party." The NDM's efforts to become an official political party had been accelerated by positive feedbacks from the public opinion towards the mid-1994. NDM, which officially became a political party in the last week of 1994, had accelerated organizational process under the leadership of the Party Leader Cem Boyner. NDM participated in the general election of 1995, which was held a year after its foundation; however, with 0.48% votes, the election was a great disappointment for NDM. While acting as a civil society movement, the NDM was viewed with great sympathy and gained public support; but, following the transformation into a political party, it had lost its old popularity and public support. After the bad result in the elections, the Party Leader of NDM, Cem Boyner, announced that he left his position and politics in April 1996. NDM, which elected Huseyin Ergun as its new general president following the resignation of Boyner from the party, became a "signboard party", and in November 1997 NDM decided to join the Peace Party and put an end to its political life.