The comparision of Adnan Menderes and Turgut Özal from Elite Theory perspective

This study, aims to compare Adnan Menderes and Turgut Özal from Elite Theory perspective. For this purpose, the data obtained from the research conducted by scanning tools such as printed sources, websites, electronic publications, newspapers about Menderes and Özal has been analyzed by historical, descriptive, contentive and leaders analysis methods and the aspects of these two leaders that could be considered as elite has been tried to be determined. Focused on relationship between these two leaders and elitism in political and economic terms, this study has concluded that, as a wealthy family's child, Menderes has been in an elite position in terms of wealth since his birth, but later has reached the political elite position with his own efforts. However, in accordance with Pareto's "elite circulation" theory, he had to leave this position by force as a result of not accepting change at the right time. On the other hand, Özal, after working as a civil servant and bureaucrat for many years, has reached to ruling elite position thanks to keeping his good relations with the representatives of the other wings of the triangle of power according to Mills' "ruling elite" theory. This study also has concluded that, both of these two leaders did not have the virtue which Farabî has deemed as an essential trait for the ruling elite and both of them could not avoid the corruption that Michels has envisioned for every political organization to inevitably reach. Furthermore, it has been determined in this study that, both of these leaders have sometimes appropriately behaved to the situation that Pareto has defined as "lion" while behaving as "fox" according to Pareto's definement some other times.