Turkey: Ghost on the Go

Since the 1960 overthrow and hanging of Strongman Adnan Menderes, Turkish politics has basically consisted of a feud between army-backed Premier Ismet Inönü and the opposition Justice Party formed by Menderes’ resurgent followers. In municipal elections 15 months ago, the Justice Party won a startling 46% of the vote. Last week Menderes’ ghost was on the go again.

The occasion this time was the presentation of Inönü’s 1965 budget, totaling a record $1.6 billion. Though nobody actually had much against the budget, J.P. Leader Suleyman Demirel, 41, a wealthy, U.S.-trained civil engineer, mounted an assault on it to discredit Inönü. The Premier was vulnerable: backed solidly by only 192 members of the 450-seat National Assembly, Inönü ruled with the aid of a mere handful of independents. When the vote came last week, the Justice Party, which has 171 Assembly seats, had rounded up enough support from three smaller opposition parties to override Inönü’s forces. The budget was rejected 225 to 195, and Inönü promptly resigned.

Whether he would stay resigned was a question; Inönü quit once before, in 1963, only to accept reappointment by President Cemal Gursel. Whatever the case, Turkey seemed a step closer to a showdown between the nation’s feuding factions.

Inönü, the doughty octogenarian who fought under Atatürk, has survived one assassination attempt and two coups but has failed to halt the Justice Party, which has capitalized on Menderes’ undeniable popularity. Tensions have increased in anticipation of the election scheduled for this year—which many think the Justice Party will win. Showing signs of desperation, Inönü’s government has resorted to anti-American tactics with an electorate convinced that Washington let Turkey down in the Cyprus dispute. At the same time, Turkey—long known as one of the West’s staunchest allies—has begun flirting with Russia. Turkey and Russia have signed a cultural agreement, denounced by the Justice Party as a “document of treason,” and last month Ankara warmly received a Soviet parliamentary delegation.

But, as usual the last word on whether the Justice Party wins power lies with the military, which threw out Menderes.