Free Republican Party Istanbul Organization and 1930 Municipal Elections

In this study, the establishment process of the Free Republican Party, which was gained a new point of view to the history of Turkish Democracy, the elections, the organizational studies in Istanbul and the role it played in the Istanbul municipal elections in 1930 and its achievements that Istanbul provided to Turkish Democracy have been analyzed. The Free Republican Party which was founded in Yalova at the request of Mustafa Kemal (Atatürk) Pasha, by being met with great interest by the public in line with the program it had put forward, has succeeded in organizing in different provinces, especially in Istanbul. The Free Republican Party, which successfully completed its organizational work in Istanbul, has been greeted with interest by the people of Istanbul. With the 1930 municipal elections, women and non-Muslims who would take part in politics for the first time, went to the Free Party Istanbul Provincial Organization and applied for membership. However, seeing some people in turbans among those who came for membership in the Istanbul Provincial Organization was interpreted as a reactionary uprising by the public and it was concerning. A similar situation has been experienced in Kasımpaşa during the Istanbul municipal elections. The Green Flag (Yeşil Bayrak), which was opened by the supporters of the Free Republican Party in Kasımpaşa, has caused some undesirable events. The Free Republican Party participated in the elections in Istanbul against the Republican Public Party. While explaining the events, the press interpreted the events from their own point of view, and due to the fact that some undesirable events occurred during the election and the Free Republican Party could not control its own supporters, it could not win through against the Republican Public Party. But the fact that the Free Republican Party nominated different segments of the society as candidates in the Istanbul municipal elections has brought a different perspective to Turkish politics.