Turkey's Journey to the West: The Multi-party System

1. Turkey's Journey to the West: The Multi-party System Emrehan Zeybekoğlu Marmara University, Istanbul

2. Major Developments • Class alliance coming apart • Formation of the Democrat Party (1946) • Early elections in 1946 • Elections in 1950

3. Class Alliance Coming Apart • External factors: Pressure from the USA and the West in general: Pressure for a multi-party democracy and economic liberalism. • Alliance between the military-bureaucratic elite, the bourgeois class and the landlords breaks down. • Hardline statists and liberals in the RPP

4. Democrat Party • Growing disenchantment with the RPP rule • Democrats playing up the lack of democracy and single party authoritarian rule • Opening up in the RPP: İnönü gives up the title “MilliŞef” (National Chief) • Electoral law was changed to satisfy the Democrats • Universities were granted autonomy, etc. • Democrats were reluctant to enter the elections

5. Democrat Party • Partial liberalization of the economy, inflation • The negative effects exploited by the Democrats • Religious instruction started in schools. • The Marshall Plan (1947) • Agreement to crush the left, Democrats claim that they represent the “national will.”

6. Democrat Party • No tolerance for opposition • Strikes not allowed • Old anti-democratic penal codes continued • Opposition within the DP and consequent increase in measures against the official opposition; increasing antidemocratic policies • After the 1954 elections liberals in the DP either resigned or were expelled.

7. Democrat Party • 1957 elections: rising inflation, stagnation economy • Exploitation of religious sentiments for political ends • Setting up “Fatherland Front” • Increasing political polarization in the country • Economic growth with negative consequences

8. Democrat Party • Overheating economy • Foregn borrowing • Devaluation of the Lira • NATO membership (1952), change in foreign policy • Failure to attract foreign capital • The coup d'état of 27 May 1960

9. The Coup • The National Union Committee (NUC) • Radicals (Türkeş, etc) versus liberals • The Constitution of 1961 • Creation of a bicameral parliament, the Constitutional Court, National Security Council, State Planning Organization • Import substituting Industrialization: high economic growth in the 1960s

10. The 1960s • New freedoms • Economic growth • The Cyprus problem • The Ankara Agreement of 1963 (Common Market) • Increasing social and political turmoil • The coup of 1971 • Repression of the left

11. The 1970s • Splintering in the political scene • The rise of center left / RPP • Coalitions • Continued anarchy / clashes between the right and the left • Intervention in Cyprus (1974)

12. The 1970s • Extreme right / Gray Wolves • The “Nationalist Front” coalitions in power • The massacre of Alevi in Maraş • The May Day massacre in Istanbul (1977) • Rising economic difficulties • The 24 Jan 1980 measures • The coup of 12 Sep 1980

13. The 1980s to the Present • Liberalization of the economy • Export-led growth • Worsening income distribution • The Özal governments • Application for the EU (1987) • Customs Union (6 March 1995) • Declaration of Turkey as a candidate (1999)