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294550355
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Memorandum from Acting Secretary of State James Webb to President Harry S. Truman
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294550355
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Memorandum from Acting Secretary of State James Webb to President Harry S. Truman
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1950-05-22
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1950
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DEPARTMENT OF STATE
WASHINGTON
May 22, 1950
MEMORANDUM FOR THE PRESIDENT
Subject: The Turkish Elections
In free and orderly elections held in Turkey on May 14,
1950, the Democrat Party, the leading opposition party, scored
a sweeping and generally unexpected victory over the Republican
Peoples' Party, the party of Ataturk and Inonu, which has been
in power since the Republic was founded in 1923. These elections
represent the culmination of democratic development in Turkey, a
country which in a remarkably short period of time, has evolved
from absolute monarchy to the multi-party system, under the
guidance of a benevolent dictatorship. Great credit is due
President Inonu who has fostered this development even though
it has meant the defeat of his party.
The Democrat Party victory is believed to reflect country-
wide dissatisfaction with economic conditions, and reaction
against the single-party mentality characterizing many of the
leaders of the Peoples' Party. That it does not reflect a
desire for radical changes in policy is borne out by the very
poor showing of the Nation's Party, an opposition party appeal-
ing to extremist elements, which has won only one seat in the
Assembly.
The new National Assembly will convene on May 22 to elect
the President of the Republic. He, in turn, will appoint a
prime minister who will form a new government. This govern-
ment, it is expected, will cooperate with the United States
and the other western democracies as fully as its predecessor
as the two parties are united on foreign policy. There are
no fundamental differences in the tenets of the two parties
with respect to domestic policies. The Democrat Party, how-
ever, while admitting the necessity for state enterprise in
Turkey, appears to attach more importance to the role of pri-
vate enterprise and foreign capital in the development of the
country than the Peoples' Party and also advocates the right
of labor to strike which is now forbidden. The new govern-
ment is expected to carry out its policies with moderation
and caution.
DECLASSIFIED
E.O. 12065, Sec. 3-402
State Dept. Guideline, June 12, 1979
Green Acting E. Secretary Webb
PAGE 1262
By NLT-He NARS, Date 10-13-41