Abstract:

The deputies in the First Turkish Grand National Assembly (TGNA), which constituted one of the most important stages of Turkish parliamentary history, had different world views and ideas. Despite these differences, the military phase of the National Struggle was successfully completed with an all-out struggle since the common denominator was the defence of the homeland and the ideal of living independently. On 1 April 1923, in the elections held after the decision to renew the elections, 7 deputies from Trabzon, who took part in the National Struggle, were entitled to participate in the Second Grand National Assembly. One of them was Mehmet Rahmi Bey. In view of his parliamentary activities, it is possible to say that Mehmet Rahmi Bey had a relatively active parliamentary career. The bills of law and motions he submitted to the TGNA and his speeches in the Parliament show that he closely followed the issues of the country. The opposition within the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, which had existed since the beginning, gained a new dimension with the modernisation movements. The opposition deputies in the Parliament resigned from the Republican People’s Party and founded the Progressive Republican Party, the first opposition party of the Republican era. Mehmet Rahmi Bey, a deputy from Trabzon, was among the deputies who joined the Progressive Republican Party. Mehmet Rahmi Bey, who was a member of the first opposition party of the Republican era, also drew a profile close to the Free Republican Party, which is another attempt to transition to multi-party life. This situation is important in terms of showing his opposition side. Mehmet Rahmi Bey, who returned to civil service after his parliamentary career ended, died in 1952. In this study, Mehmet Rahmi Bey’s parliamentary activities, his career as a parliamentarian, and his political side are analysed mainly by making use of the TBMM archive.

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