Abstract:

The Republican People’s Party (CHP), shown liberalization tendency after transition to multi-party period on contrary authoritarian and bureaucratic conservative government view during one-party period, lost its 27-year-rule at 1950 General Election. CHP, ran to libertarian discourses as an opposition party after 1953 and began uttering itself at “middle left” as a new ideological identity in 1965 with the effect of the rise of left in world and Turkey in the beginning of the 1960’s, came to the point changing the system (established by it) allegedly being no longer “everyone’s” but workers’ and peasants’ party with more left discourses after 1969. The middle leftists, who quite exceed the middle left’s borders in the beginning of 1970’s with Bülent Ecevit’s leadership, were in quest of a new ideological identity after deporting the intra-party status quo (İnönü and Satırs’ resignation from party). “Democratic left”, identified by Ecevit as a left manner at further stage from classical libertarian democracy, was agreed as CHP’s new ideological identity in 1974. CHP, formed a 22-month-lasted government with independents’ support in 1978, stayed face to face with not governing problem with the effect of political and social chaos and deep economic crisis alongside with intra-party schism. CHP, wasn’t able to put into practice its political promises during this time, lost the important part of large mass of people’s support in this ideological non-productive situation and it is abolished after 12 September 1980 Coup. The purpose of this study is to analyze ideological evolution of CHP, was searching ideological discourse and identity with the effect of the political, social and economic dynamics, begun with libertarian discourses in 1953, and went on with “middle left” in 1965 and “democratic left” in 1973.

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