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5/31/1954 - Turkish elections, 1954 by Richard D. Robinson

RDR Turkish elections NOT FOR PUBLICATION INSTITUTE OF CURRENT WORLD AFFAIRS Lindfield Gardens London N W England Walter S Rogers Institute Current World Affairs Avene New York New York Dear Mr Rogers I indeed I desisted indulging election speculation otcome Trkish general election early month Most observers agreed Democrats incumbents reduced majority In often political party returned office anywhere second popular majority larger which office first place But despite predictions contrary pundits precisely happened Trkey party power Democrat overwhelmed opposition second running increased margin This Democrats office another years barring unforese mishap interim The wisest prognosticator I concluded election analysis So Democrats power reduced still strong majority surprise But after srprise nearly observers predicted People Party victory everybody prepared surprise there surprise surprising The margin Democratic victory decisive though popular total nearly great majority Parliament seats total The reason great disparity multi candidate electoral district That province districts coincide inces whole block parliamentary seats voted persons Inasmuch people across party lines entire provincial slate candidates single party exceptions office In election instance there exceptions generalization Even relatively enlightened provinces Istanbul Ankara received individual candidates grouped clearly party overlapping In Ankara popular Democrat received votes least popular difference Meauwhile ranking People Party candidate against bottom party slate being separated In Istanbul range voting Democrats between ahead leading People Party And Qite clearly Trks party Turks I talked London without exception unhappy about outcome election They would preferred closer contest there would leash ambitions Prime inister Adnah Menderes It interest Trks official position expressed They apparently Tmkish government becoming fearful As month election relatively quiet minor incidents marring record There little doubt election hotly contested vigorous opposition ballots freely citizenry tallies minor exception honestly A percentage eligible voters participated million possible million The comparable figure The reason Democrats unexpected popularity difficult understand Overshadowing rising standard living enjoyed these years Reople That impact American economic assistance ideal conditions developmental programs reforms initiated prior election which first Democrats office quite point urthermore Democrats deliberately cltivated village through maintenance sbsidies basic crops continued refusal enlarge income coverage include income derived products vastly expanding agricultural credit improving village water supplies constructing bettering thousands miles roads highways launching impress number public works A friend Turkey wrote election In weeks government bigwigs could hardly around enough cornerstone layings scheduled The Democrats correctly economic improvement victory played worth But there other reasons voting Democrat The administration become toleraut forms religious activity officially discouraged under preceding People Party regime As reported reviously Democrats mitted prayer sacred Arabic Koran State radio expanded religious education primary schools opened number seminaries training village religious leaders tended desist prosecuting those active dervish orders Several provincial governors other officials talked quite frankly about extent dervish activity their respective areas It seemed quite obvious these officials under orders intervene unless these religios groups caused serious public urest Even since Ahmet Emin Yalman attempted assassination Malatya November closing Nation Party January presumably being related mpsurge reactionary Islam I evidence concerted campaign clamp these dervish orders grassroots level I their representative I known authorities knowlede still performing their rituals cursing AtatGrk In6nG A still fmrther reason smpport Democrats restraint placed activity Gendarmerie rmralpollce Se restrained their behavior least place villagers cemplained rarely gendarme forced carry weapons wandering around countryside protect themselves This undoubted exaggeration measure change Certainly extortionary practices indulged gendarmes commonly villages prior largely appeared And finally under Democrats distance between rulers demonstrably reduced An American residence Turkey wrote twenty three employees unsolicited comment ordinary person could never provincial governor whose office gmarded soldiers bayonets hereas nowadays anybody I personally there improvement score general lower classes Turkey beceming secure their opinion creasingly vocal This incident reported Ahmet gateman while giving market accounts spoke conversation downtown leading doctors large Evidently there previoms acquaintance doctor asked politics Ahmet individual polite forms address conversation never himself But professed preference Democrats adhered views spite rather impassioned arguments vastly social sperior It difficult exaggerate significance phenomenon which cident symbol The traditional pattern would Ahmet meagre education modest economic position little political preference opinions differed those prominent wealthy dissemble least avoid issue Of further advantage Democrats misfire People Party campaign For talked issues which ordinary vitally concerned instance Party attacked certain provisions newly enacted foreign investment exploration claiming would expose country unduly foreign exploitation would bring infamous capitulations Republican Turkey Erthermore Opposition shomted village farmer himself competition foreign farming enterprises Turkey Adnan enderes answered attack neatly saying effect What think Ma Ma We strong enough foreign oapitalists under control When I repeated friend reacted saying What Mau Mau should British colonial administration The Opposition hoping capitalize prices years attacked Democrat domestic economic policy They overlooked strong probability incomes covered prices issue strike The Opposition charged Democrats mismanagement foreign trade extent critical shortage European exchange created Turkish prestige abroad seriously damaged reason payment obligations The voters could interested The People Party campaigned number political reforms including institution spreme judicial authority review constitutionality legislation establishment single candidate electoral districts nullification undemocratic But again these lacked appeal Somewhat campaign People Party recognized level economic political issues these character generate support among great masses voters And during weeks prior election Party campaigners tried desperately identify Party lower classes Herein important development election Party definite attract small landowners small tradesmen workers labelling Democrats party landowners tradesmen industrialists Class conflict entered Turkish politics The electoral manifest People Party clearly flected class identification It claimed instance tractors imported country during years brought profit larger landowne wholly inadequate measures taken assure utiliz ation agricultural machinery small landholders The Party manifest promise modification taxation order effect greater social justice provide adequate protection labor apply principle minimum workers assure annual holidays recognize right strike specifically promised Democrats their campaign never granted generally enormous profits being small minority citizens Taken together political lauguage Turkey directed specific economic groups against others Shortly before election various leaders organized labor created committee supporting candidates among workers friends workers The State Prosecutor asked courts forbid Committee ground political activity labor illegal according Turkish judges refused comply Unfortunately People Party Istaubul electoral district Turkey where labor congregated numbers large enough influence voting And there despite apparently People Party sympathies substantial number workers Party Nonetheless direct participation organized labor politics another innovation associated recent election How People Party crippled election seizure Party assets including Uls printing plant difficult assess See RDR The People Party advantage these allegedly arbitrary handed udemocratic Democratic regime apparently without dramatic success In event Party without newspaper Yeni Ulus New Ulus called Halk Populist werUlh___s I doubt verymhthateitherthis incident orthepassageofthenewpress implied threat press important issues election despite Opposition effort The Opposition split between People Party newly formed Republican Nation Party successor Nation Party which sspended November officially banned January Government grounds religios appeals political purposes course benefit Democrats Bt split great enough districts difference The totals gained opposition parties equal majorities piled Democrats The Turkish Villager Party other minor groupings almost eclipsed election representation parliament There another interesting facet election It seems apparent means Democrats allegiance considerable number Kurdish Alevi Shiite leaders The alternative explanation these leaders longer compelling influence their people In election People Party seems supported these groups number areas which Democrats It perhaps explain Kurds Being somewhat restless minority memory Government suppression recent still fresh their minds Kurds wisely voted party power People They expectthe party retain power cause complaint But Democrats control voted without retaliation against their enemies Also intervening years Democrats development eastern highland provinces native habitat Kurd The situation among Alevi seems confused By rights should People Party Alevi oppressed religios minority realized sense security The secularizing policy State dring those years worked their advantage under control local Sunni religious orders which grown general emphasized things religious including religious distinctions among populace But since under Democratic regime greater measure religios freedom permitted Alevi secure previous People Party administration reason Nonetheless apparent large numbers Alevi there million Turkey million voted Democratic Is economic issues riding degree religious quarrels being submerged Srely technology becomes increasingly important religion people weaken This process already working politically significant degree There distance ascertain Kmrds Alevi sitting parliament I sspect unprecedentedly large number guess In I Alevi leaders Hatay province which Iskenderun Antakya situated literally bought Democrats I womld scrap information possibly trine It People Party leaders really election hoped increase their parliamentary group I anticipate party power years forced udertake exceedingly unpopular measmres Among drastic crtailing sbsidy payments agricultural produce inclusion farmers within income frther measures against religios political extremists severe restrictions imports In addition there possibility Tmrkey enter cycle before years which least temporary recession production Sch situation would place Tmrkey which straining every credit resource expand capital investment extremely awkward financial position The People Party womld prefer Democrats become identified these events eauhile people forget mnpopmlar measures identified regime People Party Also Party opportuity dress itself spokesman mnderprivileged masses One first Parliament elect Celal Bayar President Republic He again asked Adnau enderes cabinet which According reliable opinion recent Tmrkish cabinet hands single With single exceptio Foreign inister Fat Kprl insistence President Bayar ministers proteges enderes inclmding least relatives brother nephew I hoped append province province tabmlation As matter tabulation released Turkey despite passage nearly month since election I asked friend qmery officials inistry Jmstice wherein found Election Commission reason delay The explanation given Commission searching aroud adequate method recording party district The method involves averaging nmber votes received candidates party districts In order figures comparable calculations being reference election This process takes certain amount Frthermore Commission expects innovation protested unless figures accompanied adequate explanation This explains correspondent keeping results secret publish later booklet Sincerely yours Richard D Robinson NOTE TO READERS This letter constitutes report associate Institute Current World Affairs On June I enter employ American Universities Field Staff specialist Trkish affairs Though I lectured AUES Institute letters distributed I AUS staff member For those unfamiliar relatively enterprise explain AUES cooperate effort launched group American colleges universities maintain corps professional foreign observers The prpose provide subscribers continuing analysis commentary contemporary abroad broad intimate experience their respective geographical areas Subscribers consist chiefly American academic institutions certain number business journalistic other professional groups individuals This private service governmental APPENDIX A 0FFICL RESULTS OF THE GENERAL ELECTION IN TURKEY Number registered voters Number voting Percentage those voting Votes Received By In In Democratic Party RepublicanPeople sParty I95 Republican Nation Party Turkish Villager Party Not founded Labor Party OooO I Independents I Reresentati nariamentbyPvince In In DP RPP NP Ind DP RPP RNP Ind Afyon Karahisar Ar Amasya Ankara Antalya Bal kesir Bilecik BingS1 Bitlis Bolu Burdr Bursa anakkale 9ankr goruh 9orum Denizli Diyarbakmr Edirne Elazi Erzincan Known simply Nation Party prior RDR Page In In DP RPP Ind DP RPP RNP Ind Erzrm Eskiehir Gaziantep Giresun GmaueHakkari Hatay Ispartastanbl Kars Kastamonu Kayseri Kirklareli Kirehir Kooaeli KonyaKtahyaalatya lanisa ardin Rize Samsun Seyhau Siirt Sinop Sivas Tekirda Tokat Trabzon Tnceli Urfa Uak Van Yozgat Zongidak TOTALS According press accounts these resigned People Party Eay sitting Parliament Democrats Received New York June