Democratic Party of Turkey's domestic politics (1950-1960)

The notion of democracy spread accross the world after the Second World War when Fascism and totalitarianism were ruled out. Turkey was also influenced by the changing conditions in the world in the 1945s. The transition of Turkey to a multi-party system aimed both to eliminate the Soviet threat and to adopt the Western pluralist system. Turkish multi-party system was made permanent by the Democrat Party founded by Celal Bayar, Adnan Menderes, Refik Koraltan and Fuat Köprülü on 7 January 1946. Foundation of the Democratic Party symbolised the success of the opposition mentality since the second constitutionalist period. This Party is a watershed in the near political history of Turkey. It ensured a popular support in a short span of timea after terminating the 27–year long single-party regime with the elections on 14 May 1950. This was the first regime change in Turkey by way of elections. The Democrat Party won the all elections after that date as well. However, some social forces began to be organised when the Democrat Party compromised on Atatürk's reforms, confiscated the Republican People's Party's properties, and exercised control over the opposition. A group of military officers who felt uncomfortable about the social tensions and the regime being under threat staged a coup d'etat and toppled the Democrat Party on 27 May 1960. This master's thesis aims to examine the 10-year long period beginning on 14 May when the Democrat Party came to power. It also tries to shed light on the problems of transition to a multi-party system and the traumas encountered in a democratic regime. Keywords: Democrat Party, Political History, Adnan Menderes, General Elections, CHP