National Democratic Party
The National Democratic Party (Turkish: Ulusal Demokrat Parti) is a conservative-liberal political party in the Republic of Turkey. Since its re-foundation in 1955, it has been the largest opposition to the ruling Republican People's Party.
History
The National Democratic Party had its roots in the liberal faction of the Republican People's Party. In the power struggle that followed Atatürk's death in 1936, faction leader Celâl Bayar lost to İsmet İnönü Recep Peker, who became the new President and Prime Minister respectively. As part of Peker's efforts to consolidate power over the party, the liberal wing was completely purged from the CHP. Celâl Bayar, Mehmet Fuat Köprülü, Adnan Menderes and Refik Koraltan were banned from politics for 'treason against the party' which represents the interests of the nation.
As opposition grew to Peker's authoritarian and modernist rule, Bayar endorsed Menderes, Köprülü and Koraltan to form the Democrat Party in 1948, which became the most prominent opposition to the CHP. Outraged, Peker ordered the banning of the Democrat Party and cracked down on secret anti-government factions.
In 1955, after Peker's protégé Falih Rıfkı Atay was ousted as Prime Minister, President İnönü met with Fuat Köprülü and Tevfik Rüştü Aras and asked them to form their own opposition parties: the National Democratic Party and Democratic Renewal Party. As the years went on, İnönü's plans of a controlled opposition failed as the DYP and UDP got more and more independent and formed the Democratic Alliance.
In late 1961, the UDP and DYP cooperated with the reformist wing of the CHP to pass the Democratization Bill of 1962 with the goal of removing the CHP's dominance over Turkish politics. This passed the National Assembly with 55% support but was vetoed in the Grand Council of Kemalism.
Ideology
As the UDP was founded under the close watch on the CHP, party leader Fuat Köprülü chose not to raise radical conservatives to high ranks for fear of the party being banned, instead promoting more mainstream conservatives.
The UDP is divided into two factions. The Old Democrats is made out of educated liberal conservatives who follow the ideals of Bayar and Köprülü. The Young Democrats consist of displaced landlords, rural conservatives, Islamists, and businessmen who support the UDP's privatisation plans. Their main leader is Adnan Menderes, the party's unofficial face, whose popularity dwarfs even Köprülü's.