The Nationalist Action Party in Turkey

Abstract

One of the first steps taken by the Turkish military commanders, upon their intervention of 12 September 1980, was the suspension of all political parties. Over a year afterwards, in late October 1981, a special decree of Turkey's National Security Council dissolved all political parties and confiscated their assets. Meanwhile, legal proceedings had been initiated against many of the party leaders, most particularly against those leftist groups and Turkey's extreme right Nationalist Action Party. The latter group thus appears to have reached the end of its road, following a fifteen year career, which has hardly been studied either in Turkey or abroad.' The following preliminary examination of the party's history, style, structure, leadership, propaganda and ideology may assist in providing a better understanding of its impact on recent politics in Turkey.