Formation of a majoritarian democracy discourse in Turkey: an examination of the Democratic Party, 1946-1960

Abstract

This thesis aims to study the formation of a majoritarian democracy discourse in Turkish politics, which has become the main trend in Turkish political life starting with the Democratic Party (DP) that ruled the country from 1950 to 1960. The DP, also the first party that was elected with a competitive election, had a majoritarian approach to democracy, a view that has become the fundamental tendency in center-right politics in Turkey, and a legacy that the DP passed to its future successors. In testing this hypothesis, the democracy rhetoric of the DP is analyzed to shed light over its conceptualization of the party basis, meaning of democracy, elections, political control and political accountability, political and social opposition, civil institutions, definition of nation and individualism. This evaluation is presented through a discourse analysis of the parliamentary speeches of the leading figures of the DP. Finally, by briefly looking at the democratic view of the DP’s future successors (Justice Party, Motherland Party, True Path Party and Justice and Development Party), it is argued that the DP's majoritarian understanding of democracy became a legacy for the forthcoming center-right parties in Turkey.