1. ANTI-MENDERES GROUP AMONG DP DEPUTIES IN THE GRAND NATIONAL ASSEMBLY 2. ANTI-GREEK RIOTS IN TURKEY

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: FOIA Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 0005199136
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: June 24, 2015
• Document Release Date: December 16, 2011
• Case Number: F-2010-01914
• Publication Date: November 23, 1955

APPROVED FOR RELEASE^ DATE:
12-07-2011
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
(b)(1)
(b)(3)
This material contain Information affecting the national Defense of the United States within the meaning of the Rspionage Laws, Title
18, U.B.C. Seca. 793 and 794, the transmission or revelation of which in any manner to an unauthorized person I. prohibited by law.
COUNTRY Turkey
SUBJECT 1. Anti-Menderes Group Among DP Deputies DATE DISTR.
in the Grand National Assembly
2. Anti-Greek Riots in Turkey NO. OF PAGES
DATE OF INFO.
PLACE ACQUIRED
DATE ACQUIRED 4 October 1955
23 November 1955
3
1. Anti-Menderes Group Among the Democratic Party (DP) Deputies in the Media
(Urand National Assembly, GNA)
a. There exists at the present time a group among the DP deputies in the ONA
which is strongly opposed to Prime Minister Adnan Menderea and which is
working in'whatever way it dan for his'ouetet and a change in the present
administration and control of the DP. This group currently numbers 173
deputies, all DP. Until recently there were five leaders of this group;
however, a short time ago two additional individuals joined this leading
cadre. The names of five of these seven leaders are:
(1)
Farsi Lutfi Karaosmanoglu - DP deputy from Manisa, former.DP
Minister of'State
(2) Fethi Celikbae - DP deputy from Burdur, former DP Minister of
Economy and C$mmerce, Minister State Exploitation
(3)
(4)
(5)
Ekrem Hayri Tetundag - DP deputy from Izmir,
of Public Health
Kasim Kfrevi - DP deputy from Agri
Feridun Ergin - former economics professor
Ergin and at least two or three of the others above have recently been
expelled from the DP because of their views and activities opposing
Menderes. Because these individuals are all deputies, however, the
Government is unable to take any legal action against them.
ARMY X NAVY X AI X FRI AEC W_ I ? X1 I
(Note; Wasbingten distribution indicated by "X"; Field distribution by "#".)
 xpected this opposition group, and the above-named
in ills par c ar, to be very active and outspoken in the DP
regional caucasee 1 to be held in the near future.
considerable fireworks and "theatricals* to take place on the r1001- Of
the GNA when that body reconvenes at the end of October or the beginning
of November; one of the principal subjects of this latter meeting will be
the events of the night of 6-7 September 1955 - the riots in Istanbul,
Izmir and Ankara.
2. Anti-Greek Riots in Turkey
a. The riots were obviously well-planned and organized from their inception -
so well planned and organized that it is impossible for them to have been
spontaneous. The question thus arises as to who organized them.
there are only two possibilitiess the Communists or the Turkish
the Government, presumably a small group close to en ores, wanted , panne
and made preparations for demonstrations to be held. Word was passed to
Police officials in cities involved that on such and 'such a night certain
demonstrations were to be held, and the Police should look the other way.
When the demonstrations actually came to pass, however, they quickly got
out of control and assumed proportions far beyond what the planners had
ever anticipated or desired. Presumably once they had thus mushroomed the
various Police authorities did try to stop or control them, but by this
time the situation was too far out of hand for anything to be done.
Government as the only other logical possibility.
are virtually ruled out as a real possibility or factor. This leaves the
the present is so small in number and so comparatively weak - "comparatively"
in the sense of being able to produce riots of this scale - the Communists
Government. Because of the fact that Communist organization in Turkey at
whether it was actually possible for
advance notice thus o have been given to Police authorities without any
word leaking out up nresent a to the public or press, either
domestic or foreign. this was entirely possible and
feasible. Censorship un er the current martial law is so tight that the
foreign press is getting virtually no news out of Turkey; Time magazine,
among others, has apparently recently commented to this effect. Four
domestic newspapers have already been shut down, and the others do not
dare print anything of this nature even if they should happen to stumble
on it. Their copy is apparently censored either before or at the time of
going to press and anything in the least unfavorable to the Government
would cause them to be shut down immediately and Make the editors or
publishers subject to criminal prosecution under the Martial Law. As for
the public, one is faced with two factorss (1) even if word had leaked
out, people would be afraid to talk about it, and (2) the Turkish people,
for centuries accustomed to the idea of subservience to and blind belief
and faith in the constituted authority - be it religious or secular -
have came to accept and for the most part accept even today the credo
of complete righteousness and infallibility of this constituted authority -
in this case the Government.
 timing as concerns international events was a significant
factor in the planning of the riots. At about the time of the London British-
Turkish-Greek conferences on Cyprus, Menderes had made a strong speech about
the Cyprus issue, and the Turks had made their position very clear at the
London conference. Menderes was not prepared openly to go further than this
at that time, however, especially in view of the fact that the International
Court (sic) was due to convene very shortly thereafter and more strongly
worded Turkish statements or expressions would not look good. Menderes,
however, did want in one way or another further to emphasize the Turkish
position on the Cyprus issue; demonstrations were selected as the means to
accomplish this.
if the Government in fact did
plan the demonstrations, why was it that following the incidents a number
of high-level Government changes were made - specifically, the removal of
a number of persons who had held positions red as
positions of responsibility for the riots. here
changes were not as significant as they might seem. -The a. vernor) of
Istanbul, on whose shoulders the principal onus of the riots there might be
placed, was not removed. The removal of Kemal Ayg{in as Vali of Ankara and
his appointment as Chief of the National Police, together with the concurrent
change of former Chief of Police Ethem Yetkiner to Vali of Konya was
effected with a dual purpose in minds (1) as a sop to public opinion, since
Yetkiner as Chief of Police at the time of the riots might normally have
been expected to have known about the riots ahead of time if indeed they
were planned, i.e., were a Communist trick, or, if he had not known about
them at least have been able to stop them; and (2) since the riots did get
considerably out of hand and attain a scale never anticipated, Menderes
felt that some sort of real investigation was in order and Aygfin, as a
strong, dynamic man with considerable previous experience as Chief of the
National Police, would be the best man for this.--In addition, three generals
were removed from their posts as a result of the riots,but this was more to
placate public opinion than for any other reason. More significant was the
fact that the Vali of Istanbul was not removed.
that the Vali of Istanbul had be
ac emonstrations would be held and had been instructed to look the
other way when this happened. The Vali purportedly protested this idea
strongly, pointing out that any such demonstrations would grow out of bounds
and become uncontrollable, but he was overruled and the plan carried out.
e. As for arrests in the aftermath of the riots,
over 6.000 persons have been arrested ilstanbul. lzm~ it and
1.1 Corm ents Probably the DP National Convention to be held in Ankara
beginning on 15 October 1955,
a