Evening star., 1962-05-22

ary experiment. The army
counted on a landslide victory
for Mr.. Inonu and his Peoples
Republicans. So, no doubt, did
Mr.. Inonu. The new Justice
Party was expected to fade
away at the polls under the
wave Of revolutionary fervor
which had swept the country
after the coup d'etat 18 months
earlier.
Exactly what went wrong Is
still a question of debate. Un-
doubtedly, however, it was one
Of the most honest elections
ever held in Turkey. When the
votes were counted, the minor
parties had, indeed, done badly.
But the Justice Party had been
returned with amazing strength,
winning a plurality in the Sen
ate and splitting the National
Assembly neatly in half.
Business Stagnant
In the aftermath, some were
inclined to blame the army.
There is little question that
after 18 months Of military
rule, a good many people had
lost their original enthusiasm
for the revolution. The sordid
trials and executions had
alienated part Of the audience.
There was also a general stag
nation Of business. And the
high-handed methods of mill
tary investigators in freezing
bank accounts and examining
records had thoroughly fright
ened everyone with money to
invest.
A far more serious split,
however, had opened up be-
tween the voting population of
the cities and the peaSantry.
The revolution from the be-
ginning had drawn its support
from three volatile (and essen
TALLY unproductive) elements
of society-the army, the stu
dents and the press. It had
made little appeal to the con-
servative and largely illiterate
rural voters on which Mr.. Mem
dereS, over a decade of syste-
matte cultivation, had based his
strength. This basic rural
urban division was to have
fateful consequences for the
country in the months to come.
A bad week followed in which
everyone woke UP to the fact
that the revolution had been
repudiated by the voters. Mr..
Inonu threatened to go back
to the opposition. No one else
offered to form a government.
Finally, under the urgent
prodding of the army, a round
table conference was called.
The enforced solution: A "coal-
ition" made up of the Republi-
can and Justice parties, power
ful and bitter rivals, under the
direction Of Mr.. Inonu. Presi-
dent Gursel remained at his
post.
Amnesty Argument RACES
This unlikely solution soon
proved unworkable. The first
major dispute arose over the
question of amnesty for sur
vivors Of the Menderes regime
still serving their prison SEN
tenceS. The issue, hotly press
ed by the Justice Party, grew
into a crisis which has dom
mated the Turkish political
scene ever since.
While the argument ragged.
the economic life Of the country
continued to stagnate and the
impatience Of the army grew.
The next explosion occurred on
February %. A group of Junior
officers took over the radio sta
ton in Ankara and declared the
Government deposed. A return
OF military rule seemed immi-
nent.
1t turned out, however, that
the coup was at least prema-
ture. The army, as if undecided,
remained in its barracks. The
air force declared its loyalty to
the government. Mr.. Inonu.
for his part, stood firm.
A curious palaver followed in
which the insurgents, still
claiming control of the situa-
ton, presented the government
with a list Of demands. When
these were refused they agreed
to back down, on condition that
they would not be prosecuted for
their mutiny. In agreeing to
this, Mr.. Inonu left the impress
sion that many other army Of
ficers might have been impli-
Gated in the course of a public
trial.
Indeed, the threat Of new
action by the army remains the