Evening star., 1961-03-12

along the years you were told
that things were just fine with
us. Evidently they were not.
The Turks are mostly reticent
and very patient. After six
months in my own country, liv-
ing both in Ankara and Istanbul,
I dare not profess to know all.
Fifteen years in the United States
is a long tour of duty and en-
tirely too long to be away from
your home base. However, I am
getting more and more the feel
OF things and have talked to
so many old friends that do
not think there is much error of
judgment in what follows:
Whatever happened in Turkey
on May q, 1860, was bound to
happen sooner or later for the
following reasons:
l. The Democratic Party of Ad-
nan MendereS and Celal Bayar
was unable to create a sense Of
national direction and purpose.
2. The patience of the average
citizen at last gave away in the
face Of ever-mounting highland
ed methods of the defunct re-
gime.
8. The people became increaS-
ingly sick and tired of favoritism
and influence peddling daily as
suming gigantic dimensions.
4. The increasing deviation"
from the teachings of Ataturk,
Father of Modern Turkey.
S. Anything for votes, including
tanning the fires of religious
fanaticism.
s. The utter disregard of the
strict moral code by which this
nation lives.
I know these are pretty big
orders to fill. And as they are
all inter-related, I shall therefore
attempt to shed light on all of
them in general way.
The national direction and
purpose for the future generation
of Turks to follow was set by
great and inspired leader, Ataturk,
in the following declaration, 1T
is imperative for the Turks to
become a useful member of the
community of Western nations
and serve the ideals of Western
civilization" And again, THE
\ Turkish state is National Populist
Oemocratic), Secular and Re-
publican
To what extent these high pur-
poses and principles have been
abandoned, even trampled under
foot, it is not easy to fathom.
Atoturk Obseured
There are indications, in which,
ever direction one looks, that a
sinister and conscious effort had
( been exerted to obscure Ataturk.
I was appalled, in the discovery
that some Turkish youngsters
knew very little about Ataturk and
his teachings.
Z The situation, If an analogy is
permissible, was similar to Amer
ican youth being diSsuaded from
knowing about and believing in the
high principles of government as
set forth by Abraham Lincoln or
Thomas jefferson.
The upSurge and protest led by
university students of Turkey, ad-
hered to by the vast majority of
people, to bring to life once more
the majesty of Ataturk, saviour
and founder of modern Turkey, is
proof enough of the fact that the
former regime was unable to give
a sense Of direction and national
purpose to the people.
OF "favoritism" and influence
peddling, I shall say little beyond
the fact that together with vote
getting at any price, this phase
had been a predominant feature
and procedure of the former re-
gime. 1t seems certain now that
these highly irregular methods,
which might lead even to i'm
peachment in your country, shall
be proven, beyond a shadow of
doubt, by the Special High Tri-
bunal now trying the culprits on
an island Of the Marmara Sea.
If you voted right, you could
have gotten away with murder.
If you were a Republican, the
opposition party, you were a
traitor. 1t is a wonder, therefore,
that the Democrats lasted as long
as they did. Had the situation
gone on, the people would have
been split into two irreconcilable
factions.
AS weeks go by, it becomes more
and more evident from testimony
that little, if any, respect was
shown by the leadership of the
Menderes regime to the moral
standards of the country. The
utter disregard of public resent
ment toward this kind of be-
haviour in the open, is another
reason for the downfall of the
party. For, beyond a certain
point. the people of Turkey, as
A. ,oAo,oIa 1F a.ax,