British Assessments Regarding the Factors Leading to the Political Rise of Süleyman Demirel Süleyman Demirel’in Siyasi Yükselişine Yol Açan Faktörler Hakkında İngiliz Değerlendirmeleri
Yakin Donem Turkiye Arastirmalari, sa.49, ss.187-201, 2026 (ESCI, Scopus)
- Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
- Basım Tarihi: 2026
- Doi Numarası: 10.26650/yta2026-1531701
- Dergi Adı: Yakin Donem Turkiye Arastirmalari
- Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Emerging Sources Citation Index (ESCI), Scopus
- Sayfa Sayıları: ss.187-201
- Anahtar Kelimeler: Turkish Politics, British Embassy in Ankara, Justice Party, Turkish Military, S & uuml;leyman Demirel
- Sağlık Bilimleri Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet
Özet
The legitimacy of the Justice Party in the eyes of the Turkish military was closely associated with the control of extremist elements within the organization. This legitimacy was initially established through the election of retired General Ragıp Gümüşpala as the party chairman. However, his unexpected death in 1964 reintroduced the question of party leadership and, consequently, the future prime ministry into the political agenda. The British Embassy in Ankara monitored this process closely, paying particular attention to the internal factions of the Justice Party and the military’s stance toward both the party and Süleyman Demirel. These assessments interpret the developments leading to Demirel’s election as party chairman and subsequently as prime minister as a consequence of internal party dynamics, the reconfiguration of relations between the party and the military, and the perception of Demirel by the armed forces as a reliable figure for maintaining the stability of the regime.