Governance and Democracy Evaluation of Turkish Republic

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1 Democracy Evaluation of Turkish Republic 9 7 AKP Victory 5 Coup 2 CUP Imposed Constitution 1923 Constitution Democratic Opening Coup Coup exrec exconst polcomp

2 Democracy Evaluation of Turkish Republic Growth Rate Turkey GDP per capita (constant 2000 US$) Democracy Scores

3 Early State and Reforms of Ataturk Sultanate abolished The Treaty of Lausanne (July 1923) signed between the Ankara government and the Allies, first official recognition of new Republic. October 29, Republic is Declared. Ataturk as President, 3 March Caliphate Abolished. Kurdish cultural and press institutions abolished Sheik Said Kurdish rebellion. Leader of Nakshibendi Tarikat. Religious orders actively suppressed as are symbols of religion. Dozens to hundreds of religious leaders executed. Marshal law initiated Assassination plot discovered. Party rivals with CHP purged. Initiation of firmly single-party, Ataturk s personalistic rule. Since 1946, it has a multi-party representative democracy that has experienced two military coups and two military interventions. It has a parliamentary system of government. Turkey is a member of the Council of Europe and all other European intergovernmental organizations. Turkey has been a very strong strategic ally of the West since the Truman Doctrine. It has been a member of NATO since 1952.

4 Early State and Reforms of Ataturk Assassination plot discovered. Party rivals with CHP purged Period of Ataturk s Reforms İnönü takes over Presidency of Turkey, and the CHP Turkey declares war on Axis powers İnönü guides transition to multi-party period. permits creation of Demokrat Partisi. CHP wins 1946 elections through fraud and violence. Since 1946, it has a multi-party representative democracy that has experienced two military coups and two military interventions. It has a parliamentary system of government. Turkey is a member of the Council of Europe and all other European intergovernmental organizations. Turkey has been a very strong strategic ally of the West since the Truman Doctrine. It has been a member of NATO since 1952.

5 Early State and Reforms of Ataturk : Single Party rule with some experimentation with opposition political parties : Single party authoritarian rule under the RPP (the six arrows ideology) Republicanism, revolutionarism, laicism, nationalism, populism, and etatism : Transition period : Democrat party period and reversal of some of the Kemalist policies : Military rule : Multiparty democracy : Military intervention : Multiparty democracy (coalition governments period) : Military rule 1983-present: Transition from authoritarianism to multiparty democracy From notes of Birol Yesilada

6 Early State and Reforms of Ataturk Reforms of Ataturk included : Abolished Sultanate (1922) Abolished Caliphate (1924) Secular education (1924) Language ( ) Dress (1925) Civil code ( ) Adapted from Swiss and Italian. Alphabet (1925) Significance of laicism Significance of etatism and republicanism Republicanism, revolutionarism, laicism, nationalism, populism, and etatism From notes of Birol Yesilada

7 The 1876 Constitution (the Ottoman Empire) parliamentary monarchy Constitutional movements in the Ottoman Empire, which began during the second half of the 19th century, can be characterized as the product of the following developments: the decline of the Ottoman nation (Millet) system, influence of the Western European socioeconomic and political developments and emergence of an enlightenment age in the Ottoman Empire. They were top down constitutional movements in contrast with those of the Western countries. The 1876 Constitution provided certain mechanisms checking the absolute power of the Sultan by creating a legislative assembly partially elected by the people. In 1909, the 1876 Constitution was substantially amended to increase the powers of the legislature and to restrict those of the Sultan for developing a democratic monarchical political system similar to that of the Western European societies. From notes of Birol Yesilada

8 1921 Provisional Constitution The 1921 Constitution established during the War of Independence included rules necessitated by the conditions and requirements of war: It proclaimed the principle of "national sovereignty" as an expression of the radical revolutionary transformation in the Turkish society It established the constitutional principle that the Grand National Assembly was the sole and true representative of the nation. For realizing this purpose, it established an assembly government system in which all the powers of sovereignty were embodied in the parliament. From notes of Birol Yesilada

9 1924 Constitution The Republic of Turkey adopted its first constitution in It retained the basic principles of the 1921 Constitution, notably the principle of national sovereignty. As in the 1921 Constitution, the Turkish Grand National Assembly (TGNA) was considered to be the "sole representative of the nation." The 1924 Constitution provided for a continuation of the parliamentary system. Both the legislative and executive powers were embodied in the Assembly. Although the Assembly had the power to supervise and dismiss the Government, neither the Government nor the President had the authority to dissolve the parliament. The 1924 Constitution can be characterized as a step toward a parliamentary system. The Assembly was able to exercise executive power through the President and the Council of Ministers. In other words, there was a clear separation of powers. Meanwhile, the collective responsibility of the ministers before the Assembly was also adopted. The principle that the President must not bear any political responsibility was another feature of the 1924 Constitution. The judiciary was totally separated from the legislative and executive bodies. Judicial power was to be exercised by independent courts. The de-facto practice of making the President the leader of the dominant party in the TGNA, meant that a single party held the Prime Minstership, Presidency and the TGNA. The CHP vetted candidates through Ataturk, so all political actors were beholden to him, despite the formal limits on his power.

10 The DP Years election results DP: 53% 408 seats CHP: 40%, 69 seats Inonu rejects offer of the military to intervene. By 1950 Turkey had received $200 million in US aid through Marshall Plan. DP embarked on massive spending and development program Annual GDP growth per cap of around 3.5% Tractors from 2,000-42,000 not even kidding. Road-building and railroads. Easy credit through state agriculture banks (EtiBank, DemirBank, HalkBank) High spending and growth led to inflation and balance of payments problems. DP enrolled Turkey into the Korean war, earning more U.S. assistance. Korean war participation led to NATO membership in Election results DP: 57%, 490 seats, CHP: 30 seats. Economic growth, and inflation continue. DP seizes CHP property, shuts down newspapers, retires judges and civil servants to replace them with loyalists Cyprus conflict spreads to Istanbul, as riots and reciprocal persecution.

11 The DP Years election results DP: seats 424 CHP: seats 178 Economic bubble burst. Inflation devalued salaries. Secular academics, and bureaucrats abandon the party in response to repression and debt. April 1960 Menderes and DP suspend Constitution to investigate CHP. University students protested, followed by military cadets. Menderes and Bayar forced to resign. 27 May 1960: Military arrested Menderes and Celal Bayar. Coup initiated as colonels coup, but then hierarchical military stepped in soon and pushed out radicals. Military tribunals banned DP parliamentarians from politics Executed Menderes and two ministers, including Chief of General Staff. Military executions actually boosted Menderes s popularity and converted him from a nascent dictator into a martyr for democracy. National Unity Committee Led by General Gursel, Military officers, academics, politicians Wrote 1961 Constitution with considerations of how DP had maneuvered legal structures to seize power. Inonu led transition back to democracy convinced military to purge left and right-wing radicals.