Türkiye–Afghanistan relations during the Democrat Party era (1950–1960)

In Türkiye, various analyses and evaluations have emerged regarding the political and economic developments in Afghanistan, a landlocked country located in the southern part of Central Asia. The primary reason for the divergences among these analyses lies in the limited and insufficient academic studies on Afghanistan conducted in Türkiye. Although there are some reference works available on the subject, most of them have been authored by Western scholars, reflecting their own perspectives and approaches. Our dissertation, entitled " Türkiye–Afghanistan Relations During the Democrat Party Era (1950–1960)", aims to explain the political, social, cultural, and economic dimensions of -Türkiye-Afghanistan relations between 1950 and 1960. The study particularly seeks to highlight the reciprocal visits between the two countries, the support and assistance provided by Türkiye to Afghanistan's development during these visits, and to shed light on the efforts of Turkish authorities to extricate Afghanistan from Soviet influence. This research is based primarily on contemporary newspapers and archival documents specific to Afghanistan. On the Turkish side, sources such as the Presidential State Archives of the Republic of Türkiye, the Archives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, period newspapers, and the Grand National Assembly of Türkiye (TBMM) Proceedings have been utilized. In addition, literature in Turkish, English, Dari, Pashto, and Persian has also been consulted. Our study is structured into an introduction and four main chapters. The introduction first addresses the geographical features of both countries, followed by a brief historical overview of Türkiye and Afghanistan. The first chapter focuses on Afghan-Turkish relations prior to the Democrat Party period. After examining both countries' struggles for independence, the chapter discusses bilateral relations during the Atatürk and İnönü eras. The second chapter evaluates the governments of Türkiye and Afghanistan during the 1950–1960 period. Within this framework, the Democrat Party administration in Türkiye and the governments of Shah Mahmud Han and Mohammad Davud Han in Afghanistan are discussed. The third chapter is devoted to high-level reciprocal official visits between the two nations. It examines Adnan Menderes' and Celâl Bayar's visits to Afghanistan, the reflections of these visits in the Turkish and Afghan press, and the meetings held with Afghan authorities. The visits to Türkiye by the Afghan Prime Minister, Foreign Minister, and King are also detailed, along with media coverage of these visits in both countries. The fourth chapter analyzes the political, cultural, and economic relations between Türkiye and Afghanistan. In addition, the chapter covers topics such as Turkish ambassadors to Kabil and Afghan ambassadors to Ankara, Türkiye's stance on the Pashtunistan issue and Menderes' role as mediator, Afghanistan's support for Türkiye during the Cyprus crisis, and Türkiye's assistance to Afghanistan in the fields of military, education, and health—evaluating the key developments of the period