REPUBLIC PEOPLE'S PARTY

Establishment of the Republican People's Party...

Mustafa Kemal Atatürk made his first statement on the establishment of the CHP on 6 December 1922 and used the name "People's Party". As it is known, Great Atatürk was planning to make revolutions before the War of Independence was over, in order to eliminate the backwardness of the country and the danger of collapse, and to create a modern and advanced society. Achieving these goals could only be possible with a political party that took its power from the people and focused on realizing these goals within a certain program. Mustafa Kemal Atatürk expressed his intention to establish a party with the following words:

“…The people of all classes of the nation, even from the farthest corners of the Islamic world, to be worthy of the trust and trust shown to me in a way that I can be eternally proud of, as the most humble individual of the nation, with the aim of dedicating my life to the good of the country until the end of my life, based on the principle of Populism after the peace, and politically under the name of the People's Party. I intend to form a party.”

At the time when Mustafa Kemal Atatürk made this speech, the War of Independence had just ended, the Mudanya Armistice Agreement had just been signed, the Sultanate had just been abolished and the Lausanne Peace negotiations had just begun. At the same time, groupings in the Grand National Assembly of Turkey increased and political parties began to be needed in political life. In his statement to the press on December 6, 1922, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, who stated that a new era was entering, wanted the help of the nation and the contribution of the intellectuals in the modernization process in the following period, as in the War of Independence.

Atatürk went on a country tour right after this speech. In a speech he made during the trip, he made the following statement, which would constitute one of the main philosophies of the People's Party during its founding years:

“In my opinion, our nation does not have various classes that will follow very different interests and therefore come into conflict. Classes in the country are necessary to each other and complement and complement each other. For this reason, the People's Party will work to ensure the rights, reasons for promotion and happiness of all classes.”

As can be seen, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, in his speech, states that the People's Party will not be founded on the basis of class, that no class distinction can be made and that it will be a party that covers all classes. This speech is like a precursor to the search for a "privileged, self-confident society, a cohesive mass" that emerged in Turkey after the War of Independence and was also expressed in the 10th Anniversary March, to create a response through the party and to turn towards the nation state.

On April 8, 1923, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, in the capacity of the President of the Anatolian and Rumelian Defense of Rights Association, published a statement. This text, which is called 9 umde (principle) because it consists of nine articles, is an "election manifesto". This election manifesto also serves as a program preparation for the party to be established.

Later, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk and the deputies who supported the establishment of the party started to prepare the statutes. In the prepared charter, “Populism”, “Republicanism” and “Nationalism” were adopted as basic principles; The concepts of “National Sovereignty”, “Revolution” and “Rule of Law” are also included.

After these developments, the "Anatolian and Rumelian Defense of Rights Society" was transformed into the "People's Party" and Mustafa Kemal Atatürk applied to the Ministry of Interior on September 9, 1923 and announced the establishment of the "People's Party".

As the development line of the CHP in the partyization process reveals, the Republican People's Party is the continuation of the “Anatolian and Rumelian Defense of Law Society” that organized and carried out the War of Independence. The name of the party, which was originally "People's Party", was changed to "Republican People's Party" in 1924 and "Cumhuriyet People's Party" in 1935.

From the Anatolian and Rumelian Defense of Rights Society (A-RMCH) to the Republican People's Party (CHF)...

The Association, which was formed to carry out the National Struggle during the years of the War of Independence, to represent all social segments/classes and to ensure national unity, is the Anadolu and Rumeli Müdafaa-i Hukuk Cemiyeti. The foundation of the society was carried out at the Sivas Congress, which was held between 4-11 September 1919. The People's Party also protected the historical heritage of the Anatolian and Rumelian Defense of Rights Association, and showed that it is the continuation of the Association that saved the country with the War of Independence and its continuation in the Turkish Grand National Assembly, the Anadolu and Rumeli Defense of the Law Group. As a matter of fact, when the People's Party was founded, the Anatolian and Rumelian Defense of Rights Association branches in the provinces and districts took down their signs and hung the People's Party sign. Thus, in almost every part of the country,

During the single-party period, the basic philosophy of the CHP was based on the two foundations mentioned above. These are respectively;

Coming from the foundation of the Defense of Law that saved the country (the unshakable charisma of the CHP executives, especially Mustafa Kemal Pasha, who won the National Struggle).

Representation of all social segments (As a national party, CHP is based on the idea of ​​“a classless, unprivileged, fused mass” in a social structure where the class structure is not very developed and traditional and rural structure dominates).

The CHP, which was founded on these two foundations, represented all social segments in the country as a "people's" party. As a matter of fact, the 1927 Census showed that there was no serious class structure in the country, and that rural and traditional society structure, the majority of which was based on the agricultural sector, was dominant.

When the occupational groups determined in the 1927 Census results are examined, it is seen that the ratio of the segments representing modern social classes such as industry, commerce, service and self-employment is around 7 percent. On the other hand, the ratio of those who represent the traditional social structure, such as farmers and the unemployed, is over 90 percent. Therefore, the social heritage inherited in the early years of the Republic is highly traditional and rural in character.

In this period, the CHP was a “national” party representing all social segments. However, the CHP has always described its administration as "democratic". As a matter of fact, the Populism article in the Party Program describes the will of the people and democracy. The principle of Populism in the CHP Program can be summarized as follows:

a. democracy,

b. Not to grant any privileges to any individual or group other than the general rights of the nation,

c. Not accepting the class struggle.

First and Second Groups in the Grand National Assembly of Turkey...

The political and ideological spectrum of the Assembly, which administered the War of Independence, is extremely wide. There were very different ideological groupings in the First Assembly. The largest grouping was experienced between the First Group and the Second Group. Having similar ideas about the liberation of the country, both groups had different ideas about what the nature of the regime would be after the liberation of the country. While the leader of the First Group was Mustafa Kemal Pasha; The Second Group did not have a single leader. Hüseyin Avni (Ulaş), Ali Şükrü and Selahattin Beys were the leading names of this group. Ideologically, the distinction between the two groups can be summarized as follows: When the First Group says, "The law of the revolution is above the existing laws"; The Second Group said, “Revolution also has a law. Extraordinary also has a law”. These two words

Under the leadership of Mustafa Kemal Pasha, the First Group, which would later turn into the CHP, had a Revolutionary and Reformist world view, while the Second Group; It is seen that he adopts a traditional, conservative and populist understanding. After the War of Independence, the members of the Second Group, who lost the elections held in 1923, could not enter the Second Parliament. In this period, Rauf (Orbay) Bey founded the Progressive Republican Party together with the opposition pashas. Hüseyin Avni Bey, Kara Vasıf Bey and Selahattin (Köseoğlu) Bey, in turn, joined the Progressive Republican Party. They established the Istanbul organization of the party. Thus, the opposition wing that broke away from the First Group and the Second Group united, and some former Unionists joined the newly formed Party.

Revolutionism Understanding of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk and the Republican People's Party...

Mustafa Kemal Pasha expressed his revolutionary aims much earlier, while the Erzurum Congress was still going on. While there was neither the Assembly nor the Army, Mazhar Müfit Bey (Kansu) wrote in his diary what would happen after the War of Independence, right after the Erzurum Congress (August 7-8, 1919):

• After the victory, the form of government will be the Republic.

• Necessary treatment will be done about the Sultan and the dynasty when the time comes.

• Hijab will be removed.

• Fez will be removed, hats will be worn like civilized nations.

• Meanwhile, M. Müfit Bey says, “Don't be offended, Pasha, but you have a dreamer side.” Mustafa Kemal Pasha's answer is clear: “Time determines this. You write".

• Latin letters will be accepted.

M. Müfit Bey made you feel that he did not believe what was said and said, "My Pasha is enough!" says. What M. Müfit Bey describes as a dream will be realized during the Atatürk period. The institutions of the traditional society, of a medieval society such as the Sultanate, Caliphate, Madrasahs, and Sharia Law will be abolished in the 1920s with revolutionary methods. Intense efforts will be made to ensure that the republican regime is adopted by the people, as the institutions of modern society are established in their place.

Reşit Galip, the architect of the University Reform and Minister of National Education, in the following years (in the 1930s) will explain the CHP's understanding of modernization with this revolutionary discourse and method:

“We have to break the rule of gradual evolution on our way, to make our evolution on the way of wisdom (with revolutions), speed and violence, and to add a new law to the social laws.”

It should be said that two major revolutions, the French Revolution and the Industrial Revolution, played a role in the collapse of the Ottoman Empire. The Ottoman Empire remained a spectator to both revolutions and entered the process of falling behind in the face of the Western world. With these two revolutions, the Western world moved out of the traditional society structure (agricultural economy, religious-monarchical state structure, social structure based on religious communities, rural population) and transformed into a modern society structure (nation-state, industrialization/capitalization, enlightenment, individualization, urbanization…). has passed. In summary, the idea of ​​capitalistization and nationalism prepared the end of the Ottoman Empire. The partial modernization efforts put into practice by the Ottoman State during these periods were not sufficient for salvation. For this reason, the Kemalist Republic, with a radical/radical modernization policy, in other words, he tried to close the gap with the Western world with a "revolutionary" policy. It is possible to see this understanding even in the election posters of the period. As a matter of fact, in one of the posters of the 1930s, the CHP said, “We fit the century into the year”.

With the revolutions made in the 1920s, the institutions of the traditional society were abolished and replaced by the institutions of the modern society. It is seen that the revolutions and reforms made in the 1930s are attempts to ensure that the new institutions created by the revolutions are adopted by the society. In addition, the effort to build a new nation with the revolutions is clearly seen.

The course of the revolutions over the years is as follows:

• 1922: Abolition of the Sultanate

• 1923: Proclamation of the Republic, Izmir Economy Congress, Making Ankara the Capital

• 1924: Abolition of the Caliphate, Education Union, Closure of Madrasahs, Establishment of the Presidency of Religious Affairs, Abolition of the Ministry of Sharia and Foundations

• 1925: Closure of Lodges and Lodges, Abolition of Tithe Tax, Hat Law, Establishment of Ankara Law School, Adoption of the Gregorian Calendar

• 1926: Civil Code, Code of Obligations, Penal Code

• 1927: Code of Civil Procedure

• 1928: Adoption of New Letters, Opening of National Schools, Removal of the Article "The Religion of the State is Islam" from the Constitution, Adoption of International Numbers

• 1929: Code of Criminal Procedure

• In the 1930s, it should be said that two important steps were taken in terms of the establishment of the revolutions.

• Educational and cultural policies: Establishment of Community Centers, Community Rooms, Turkish Historical Society, Turkish Language Association, Village Instructor Organization, Village Institutes.

• Economic development: The rapid development of the country by the help of the state and private sector and the establishment of many industrial, financial and similar development institutions for this purpose.

Six Principles...

Parallel to the development process of the revolutions, the 6 principles of the CHP gradually entered the party program. The principles of Statism and Revolution were added to the principles of Republicanism, Nationalism, Populism and Secularism, which were accepted at the CHF Convention convened in 1927, at the CHF Convention held in 1931. At the CHP Congress in 1935, these principles were defined as Kemalism. On February 5, 1937, 6 principles were included in the Constitution.

“Nationalism” is defined as follows in an official publication of the CHP titled “The Fifteenth Year Book” published in 1938:

“Every citizen who speaks the Turkish language, grows up with Turkish culture, and adopts the Turkish ideal within the Republic of Turkey is Turkish, regardless of their religion or origin. (…) According to the new Turkish nationalism, the Turkish nation is a high and honorable member of the great human family. In this respect, he loves all humanity and does not harbor enmity against other nations and does not inculcate unless it is in the national interest.”

The CHP's understanding of "Stateism" is based on two pillars: The organization and control of the works, which are left to the private sector to be carried out by the establishment and constructiveness of the state itself. The justification for statism is explained in the Fifteenth Year Book as follows:

“The way to ensure the economic independence of the Turkish nation, which has been exploited by foreign nations for centuries, to save the nation from being a customer of foreign factory products, to sell the country's primary materials at the expense of nothing and buy their foreign products at a very expensive price, could only be possible by accepting and applying the principles of Statism. .

The new Turkish state took the most fundamental measures to ensure this.

In order to strengthen the national industry, it was necessary to protect the domestic industry in order to regulate the competition of goods coming from foreign markets to goods coming from abroad and to protect the relative expensiveness arising from the high cost price due to the excess expenses that the newly established factories made for the foundation years. This may be possible by imposing excess customs duties on goods to be imported from abroad, and by restricting and regulating the import of foreign goods. This protection principle has been ensured by the laws enacted by the Grand National Assembly, and thanks to the intervention of the state's regulatory hand in foreign trade, import, export and payment balances have been provided and the place of Turkish land crops in the world markets has gradually expanded.

… The Statism of the Republican People's Party is never related to Collectivist and wholesale Statism, which does not allow private and individual enterprises and activities, does not recognize property rights, and concentrates all economic activities and all means of production in the hands of the State.”

The principle of “Secularism” and the secularization process are defined as follows in the Fifteenth Year Book of the CHP:

“The Republic of Turkey is a state mechanism that operates not based on religions and the texts of religions, but on the basis of life itself and its positive necessities and needs. Religion has no effect on state and world affairs. This principle is called Secularism.

… the republic's unity of education by abolishing the religious courts and enacting the Civil Code, abolishing the judiciary and madrasas; It means removing the influence of religion from among the nurturing and sustaining conditions of the society. Thus, freedom of conscience, which is one of the most important public rights, was ensured in the widest and ideal way thanks to Secularism. Freedom of conscience, which is the first condition for the superiority and civilization of a society, has broken all the ties that hinder the general march of the state and society, with individual belief, leaving each individual to his own understanding and belief in spiritual matters.

In national and social life, the individual, irreligious, belonging to this or that creed system; It cannot be considered as a fault or a virtue in terms of his national and social duty. From the moment when religion is separated from world affairs and secularism is declared in Turkey, no one can be compelled to perform any act of worship and no one can be barred from worshiping with the inspiration of his conscience.

Within the boundaries of this broad and high understanding, it is naturally impossible for representatives of reactionary mentality such as dervish lodges and sects to enter, which is outdated, wearisome and can make even the highest social committees quiet.”

According to the CHP's "Republican" understanding, the source of sovereignty is the people. In this context, the Republic Revolution, which is the most radical transformation in our history, aimed to overthrow the "reign" and replace it with "national will". Thus, “citizen” took the place of “subject”.

According to CHP's understanding of Republicanism, the Republic of Turkey was founded on a unity of principles and ideals. The Republic derives its strength from the principle of equality and integrity, with the law and rights of all people who make up this unity. Citizenship is a basic concept that is based on the common basic element and “field of rights” for everyone.

The CHP's understanding of "populism" can find the basis of political legitimacy in the people, it is the abolition of economic and political privileges, it is to be the owner of the orphans, and to find solutions for the people, together with the people.

The “revolutionism” of the CHP, on the other hand, is a radical change in peace, sharing the era, and leaping into the future, as broadly stated above. It is to grasp and adopt innovations by opening up to contemporary thoughts; is to transform it into a way of life and management in continuity. It is to open ways to reach the better and the right by questioning the rules and oneself, and to create the methods and tools of development within this framework. With this understanding, the CHP continues its revolutionism, together with the people, by taking power and authority from the people, adhering to the democratic rule of law and peaceful methods.

Six Arrow Flag...

In the Fifteenth Year Book published by the CHP shortly before Atatürk's death, similar to the aims listed in the first article of the 1923 Statute, the following is stated: The program shows the main roads that will lead the Turkish nation to its national ideal, fully and clearly. This program is not for this or that class or group; It is for the whole nation, for all citizens who will work for the nation's new and advanced goal, the civil rise. This program includes six important features that describe the principles of faith for today's and future generations of the republic, and which Kemalism represents on the flag of the Party with six white arrows on a red background”. CHP started to use the flag with six arrows in 1933. How to use and shape of the flag is explained in the CHF Flag Instruction. The design of the flag with six arrows was made by İsmail Hakkı Tonguç at the Department of Painting at the Gazi Education Institute. Before the celebrations of the 10th anniversary of the Republic, flags with six arrows were sent to the party organizations.

“Kemalism” became official with the CHP Program accepted at the Fourth Great Congress of the CHP in May 1935. In the "Introduction" part of the program, there is the following evaluation about Kemalism:

“The main ideas that form the basis of the Republican People's Party's program have been presented simply with the works that have been done since the beginning of the Turkish Revolution.

Moreover, the main ones of these ideas were determined in the general principles of the statute adopted by the Party Congress in 1927, in the statement of the General Presidency approved by the same congress, and in the statement issued due to the 1931 public council election.

The outlines of our plans, which cover not only a few years but also the future, are written here collectively.

All these principles that our party follows are the principles of Kemalism.”

The first program of the CHP is dated 1931. However, before the 1923 general elections, the "Election Declaration" of Mustafa Kemal Pasha, the Head of the Anatolian and Rumelian Defense of Rights Association, dated 8 April 1923, known as the "Dokuz Umde", should also be accepted as a program draft.

The CHP, which emerged with the transformation of the Anatolian and Rumelian Defense of Rights Society, which saved the country from occupation, into a party, has a liberationist and modernizing party identity. In this context, the party that saved the country in the War of Independence took on the mission of state-building/nation-building in the post-1923 period. As a matter of fact, when we look at the CHP programs (1931, 1935, 1939 and 1943) adopted throughout the entire single-party period, including the Dokuz Umde, the construction of a new state and a new nation is clearly seen. In this context, some of the notable elements in Dokuz Umde are as follows:

• Sovereignty belongs to the nation,

• The security problem will be solved,

• The justice system will be reformed,

• Military service will be shortened,

• The country devastated by the war will be rebuilt,

• Policies for the benefit of the public in the economic and social fields will be implemented (re-regulation of the tithe, regulations on tobacco cultivation, credit facilities for producers, mechanization in agriculture, construction of railways, dissemination of education, regulation of the health system, efficient operation of forests, development of animal husbandry).

In the first article of the People's Party Regulation adopted on September 9, 1923, the Party;

a. To guide the exercise of national sovereignty by and for the people,

b. Raising Turkey as a modern state,

c. It is stated that it will work to make the custody of the law prevail over all forces in Turkey.

At first glance, it may seem surprising that the CHP programs of 1931, 1935, 1939 and 1943 included titles such as homeland, nation and state. However, considering the fact that nation and state building was still going on in the said period, it will be seen that the discourse and practices in this period were within the program (ie, work to be done) for these purposes. As a matter of fact, M. Kemal defines the Turkish Revolution in his speech at the Fourth Great Congress of the CHP on May 9, 1935: “A ruined country on the edge of the abyss… Bloody struggles with various enemies… After that, the new homeland, the new society, which is known with respect both inside and outside. , the new state and incessant revolutions to achieve them… Here is a brief statement of the Turkish general revolution…” It is stated in the 1931 program that a contemporary right will be recognized beyond all contemporary nations of the period, such as "giving women the right to be elected as parliamentarians". As a matter of fact, this target was achieved before the next 1935 Programme.

In the 1931 Program, a graded electoral system is perceived as a final goal that can be implemented after the society (in the future) reaches a certain maturity. In the program of 1935, the principle of democratization of the two-stage system was adopted by abandoning the transition to a one-grade electoral system in the future. The 1943 program, prepared under the conditions of the Second World War, has a more backward character in this regard, and it is stated that the two-stage electoral system will be continued.

The 1935 program is more detailed than the 1931 program. The ideology of the party has been defined as Kemalism. It is noteworthy that it is stated that societies with international aims, rooted abroad and based on class cannot be established. In addition, it is stated that workers and tradesmen will be organized by the party, the first example of which was given in İzmir. It is stated in various sources that Recep Peker prepared an authoritarian-totalitarian party program and charter at this time, and this was rejected by Atatürk. However, this program and the draft bylaws are not available.

The fifth part of the 1943 Program, "Administration in the World War" and the sixth part "Possibilities after the World War", are important indicators that the Party has adapted to the conditions of the period and revised its Program accordingly. As a matter of fact, one of the most important works of the CHP Conventions, which convened every four years during the single-party period, is the work on the Party Program. Just like the gradual acceptance of the "Six Arrows", Kemalism developed and gained an ideology during the single-party period, especially in the Atatürk period, and was placed in a certain framework.

Education Mobilization: Village Instructor Organization, Village Institutes and Community Centers...

The educational legacy that the Republic inherited from the Ottoman Empire is not heartwarming at all. The rate of students in the total population has a very small share with 2.9 percent. A significant portion of this rate is composed of primary school students with a rate of 2.8 percent. While the rate of secondary school students is 5 per ten thousand, the rate of high school students is only 1 per ten thousand. In such a picture, education mobilization and rapidly increasing the education level of the society came to the fore as an urgent policy choice.

The Minister of National Education of the time, Saffet Arıkan, in his speech on May 26, 1936, when the ministry budget was being discussed in the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, declared that very few of the village children could go to school, and that if they continued to work in this way, it would take a hundred years to send a teacher to 35,000 unschooled villages. Indeed, in 1933, 32,000 out of 40,000 villages did not have schools, post offices or shops. In 40,000 villages, where 11 million people live, the literacy rate is only 2 percent. For this reason, the "Village Instructor Organization" was established in 1936-1937 within the framework of the search for a solution. Those who did their military service as corporals and sergeants were sent to the villages as teachers after passing an 8-month course. With the graduates of the “Village Institutes” opened in 1940, in 1950 the 26th.

“People's Houses” were established for the education of adults. The number of 34 Community Centers established in 1932 reached 478 in 1950. The number of 141 People's Rooms, which were established in 1940 as small examples of People's Houses, was increased to 4322 in 1950. Community Centers, which had important and versatile functions in the education of the people in these periods, consisted of 9 branches: These are respectively; Language, history and literature, R (Fine Arts), Demonstration (Theater), Sports, Social assistance, Public classrooms and courses, Kitapsaray (Library) and publishing, Villageism, Museum and exhibition branches.

People's Houses continued the literacy courses opened for adults in the National Schools. Despite an intense educational mobilization, only 32 percent of the population was literate when the Democratic Party (DP) took power in 1950. The vast majority of the population was still illiterate.

One of the purposes of Community Centers was efforts to create citizens. As a matter of fact, in many of his speeches, it is seen that Atatürk made great efforts to instill morale and national pride in the society.

The Most Beautiful Musical Machine Sound, The Greatest National Lawsuit: Industrializing...

Another important step taken is for rapid development and industrialization in this direction. While M. Kemal Pasha was informing the Istanbul journalists in Izmit on January 13, 1923, about the Turkish Economy Congress to be held in Izmir;

“The new Turkish state will establish its foundations not with the bayonet, but with the economy on which the bayonet is based. The new Turkish state will not be a state that takes over the world. But the new Turkish state will be an economic state”.

Industrialization has been one of the biggest national challenges of the new Turkey. The most beautiful music for the intellectuals and leading staff of the period was the sound of a machine.

The Atatürk era, in which the country's economy was nationalized and both the private sector and the state invested together for rapid industrialization, had a much more successful and dazzling performance compared to all subsequent periods. This success is also reflected in economic indicators. As a matter of fact, the GNP increase rate was 115 percent during the Atatürk period, which included the years 1923-1938. Moreover, there were no price increases during the Atatürk period and the Turkish currency constantly appreciated. To summarize briefly, our country's economy almost lived its "Golden Age" during the Atatürk period.

It is possible to list the main reasons for the success of the Atatürk period, which was the most successful period in terms of economic development throughout our republican history, as follows: Nationalization and Mixed Economy, Balanced budget, Import-export balance, no money printing and 0 inflation and the high rate of development achieved as a result of all these.

In the 1930s, the primary goal was development. However, the understanding of development of the period was not limited to the economic field, but also included other areas of social life, including education and culture. As a matter of fact, within the framework of such a development approach, Celal Bayar was appointed from the management of İşbank, first to the Deputy Economy in 1932, and to the Prime Minister in 1937. Celal Bayar's replacement of İsmet İnönü has been decisive because the primary goal of the country has changed in the direction of development.

In the Second Industrial Plan dated 1936, Celal Bayar, the Deputy of the Economy of the period, clearly revealed the understanding of development of the period with the statement that "Industrialization for Turkey is a war of national existence, a struggle for national defense and no sacrifice and distress can be compared with the result of this national struggle".

In this period, it was adopted that the development should be carried out within the framework of a planned understanding. In this framework, the implementation of five-year industrial plans has been initiated and the industrialization policy followed has an import substitution character in general terms. In this context, primarily weaving, sugar, cement, paper, bottle glass, iron and steel, etc. large-scale public enterprises were established in the areas.

Some of the factories established in this period are: Alpulu Sugar Factory (1926), Uşak Sugar Factory (1926), Bünyan Weaving Factory (1927), Eskişehir Sugar Factory (1933), Turhal Sugar Factory (1934), Bakırköy Cloth Factory (1934), Konya -Ereğli Cloth Factory (1934), Kayseri Cloth Factory (1934), Izmit First Paper and Cardboard Factory (1936), Karabuk Iron-Steel Factory (groundbreaking, 1937), Eregli Cloth Factory (1937), Gemlik Silk Factory (1938) , Bursa Merino Factory (1938).

In this period, great importance was given to transportation policies, which are of great importance in terms of the formation of the domestic market, and primarily to the construction of railways.

CHP, under the leadership of its founder and first Chairman Atatürk, is the party that gained national independence, established the Republic, abolished the sultanate, ended the caliphate and ensured the National Unity. It shaped the modern Turkish Republic with the reforms it carried out in social areas such as law and education. He pioneered the development of national industry and economy. Despite all the possibilities of the single-party position after the Second World War, it continued its pioneering mission in Turkey's democratization process by providing the transition to the multi-party regime.

He also pioneered the institutionalization of the opposition in a democratic regime with the opposition task he assumed in the 1950s. In this context, it struggled to realize changes in the institutionalization of the parliamentary democratic regime and to develop fundamental rights and freedoms. With the maturation of social classes within the framework of dynamics such as migration, urbanization and industrialization that emerged as the reflections of the modernization process that Turkey went through in the 1960s, the CHP opened up to the left and positioned itself in the "left of the middle" in the political spectrum. Defining its ideology with the concept of "democratic left" in the 1970s, the CHP aimed at "order change" with the social reforms it proposed. In this process, the CHP moved from the "state party" to the "people's party", from the order party to the "party of change".

The CHP, which adopts the principles that best represent its tradition and foundations with its privileged historical heritage, such as establishing the Republic of Turkey and being the most rooted party of our country, as well as adopting the universal principles of social democracy, also participated in the Socialist International and the European Socialists Party, which continues its activities on an international scale. provided. The concepts of "freedom, equality, solidarity, superiority of labor, integrity and effectiveness of development and democratization", which are the universal values ​​of contemporary social democracy, are among the main principles that the CHP is trying to institutionalize in Turkey and emphasized in its Programs.

Source:  www.chp.org.tr