The Treaty of July 12, 1947 in Turkish-American Relations and Its Effects on Turkish Political Life

Abstract

The treaty signed on July 12, 1947 possesses a considerable place in the development process of Turkish-American relations after World War II. The 'Truman doctrine', named after the then US President Harry S. Truman, has created a large security block covering Greece and Turkey, while the Marshall Plan prepared under the Truman Doctrine was forming the economic aspect of this doctrine. The treaty dated July 12, 1947 has built the military grounds of this process. The treaty both cemented Turkey's place in US foreign policy against USSR and determined the foreign policy direction of Turkey to be followed in post-war era. The new foreign policy will also shape domestic policy in the short term and Turkish political life will be designed according to the new foreign policy preferences. The most concrete example of this situation is the attempt of President Inonu to the end the tension between Republican People's Party (CHP) and Democratic Party (DP) with July 12th Declaration. With the provisional termination of the political crisis, the consolidation process of political life, which is defined as multi-party, but which can be defined as two-party in essence, has begun. The consolidation process forced CHP to follow policies in line with thepolitical requirements of the period and caused its fundamental principles to be transformed. This will lead to the emergence of a temporary analogy between CHP and DP.