The Politics of Turkish Democracy: Ismet Inonu and the Formation of the Multi-Party System, 1938-1950

Chapter Four: New Alliances and Demands for Change

Chapter Four New Alliances and Demands for Change By the end of 1942, the Turkish economy was showing the strains of the war. Mobilization, disruption of foreign trade and investment, shortages, a sharp expansion of the black market, and resentment toward war profiteers raised new demands on the state. As popular discontent spread, the government responded through policies meant to assert greater control over the market. The new government of Prime Minister Şükrü Saraçoğlu passed a series of reforms meant to alleviate economic dislocations even while punishing supposed war profiteers. At the same time, and related to domestic concerns, I . smet I . nönü maintained tight control over foreign policy, with the aim of keeping Turkey out of the war, and minimizing the impact of the war on Turkey’s infrastructure and economy. But as the Allies began to gain the initiative in the war the British, Americans, and Soviets raised demands that Turkey enter the war immediately on the Allied side, by providing access to airstrips from which Allied bombers could strike targets in the Balkans, or face isolation after the war. The German Ambassador worked to maintain non-belligerency, as the Germans negotiated stronger economic ties. Even though I . nönü had always believed that Germany could not win the war, at the beginning of 1943, he was convinced that Germany was not yet defeated. German armies were still strong, and a summer offensive in Russia might turn the war back in their favor. Despite setbacks, the Germans were also still firmly in control of the Balkans and the Aegean Sea, thus nearly surrounding Turkey. Within Turkey, pro-German sentiment was still strong, and Turkish political and military leaders contended that the total 77 78 THE POLITICS OF TURKISH DEMOCRACY defeat of Germany would allow the Soviet Union to dominate Eastern Europe after the war, leavingTurkey isolated from the West by hostile regimes in the Balkans. For I . nönü, caution and balance still dictated Turkish foreign policy. He continued to trust the security of self-reliance and relative autonomy that came from trying to maintain relationships with all sides. Thus, throughout 1943 I . nönü worked to maintain a balance between Germany and the Allies in foreign relations, and to convince Allied planners to maintain Germany as a block to Soviet expansion in Europe. The Saraçoğlu Cabinet On July 3, 1942, Prime Minister Refik Saydam, along with the Minister of Finance, Mümtaz Ökmen and the Director of Provisioning, Şükrü Sökmensüer, traveled to Istanbul to study shortages, problems with distribution , and constantly rising prices of staples, like bread and coal. Their trip was a response to complaints from the people that government policies seemed only to favor the new “war millionaires.” In Istanbul, Saydam held three days of meetings with the provincial Governor and local party officials , discussing problems and the impact of government policies. Saydam also met and listened to the complaints of bread producers, millers, coal distributors, and others.1 Changes in economic policy had been under consideration since the spring, and in May, during discussion of the budget for 1942, Saydam had told the Assembly: “Today we see that all of the endeavors we have made since the day the war began must be changed from A to Z. There is definitely a need to renew our arrangements.”2 Thus, Saydam’s trip to Istanbul was aimed not only at quieting criticism, but also resulted from the promise of sweeping changes to make government policy more accountable. By the summer, Saydam’s commitment to implement “Change from A to Z” had become a popular slogan, and heightened peoples’ expectations of change from the government.3 The sudden death of Saydam from a heart attack in Istanbul, on the night of July 7, prevented him from carrying out changes and the responsibility fell to the Foreign Minister, Saraçoğlu, who was designated Prime Minister by I . nönü. The designation of Saraçoğlu as Prime Minister was an indication of I . nönü’s primary concern with foreign affairs. Also, Saraçoğlu was a close associate of both I . nönü and Saydam, and as a long-term member of the cabinet, his choice reflected the objective of continuity. Saraçoğlu was already familiar with the plans for changes in domestic affairs. Within a week of becoming Prime Minister, Saraçog...