Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s ‘Decapitation Strike’ on Turkey’s Opposition Party

Excerpt

In April 1960, Turkey’s second president, Ismet Inonu, and leader of the founding Republican People’s Party (CHP), issued a stern warning to the ruling Democrat Party (DP):

Now, the revolution is being carried out by those who have already seized power…They [the DP] come to power through elections, appropriate the instruments of the state; yet, the moment the possibility of being removed via elections appears on the horizon, they fall into a panic—a frantic determination not to leave…If you continue down this path, even I won’t be able to save you!

Under Prime Minister Adnan Menderes, the DP governed Turkey from 1950 to 1960, ending the CHP’s 27-year tenure. Menderes harbored deep suspicions toward the CHP, believing that Ismet Inonu and the opposition sought his removal. The DP leveraged state power to undermine the opposition, including attempts to dissolve the party that founded the republic. In May 1960, a military coup ousted the DP from office. Menderes was subsequently tried and executed in 1961.

Sixty-six years later, similar challenges have reemerged under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, illustrating the cyclical nature of Turkey’s political history.

Sinan Ciddi is a senior fellow on Turkey at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD) in Washington, DC.