İnönü disappointed at elections
Apart from Republican People’s Party led by İsmet İnönü, Justice Party (AP) under Ragep Gümüşpala, Republican Villagers Nation Party (CKMP) under Osman Bölükbaşı, New Turkey Party (YTP) under Ali Ekrem Alican, and independents partook in the first general elections held on October 15, 1961 after the coup of May 27th.
CHP failed to meet expectations and received only 173 seats out of 450 with 36.7% of the votes. Founded as the successor of the closed Democrat Party, AP took 158 seats with 34.8% of the votes. YTP and CKMP won 65 and 54 seats, respectively. In the Republican Senate run by a majority system, the results were as follows: CHP 36, AP 71, YTP 27, and CKMP 16 senators.
İsmet İnönü made the following comments after the elections:
The transition to a regular regime after a coup is an important one. Will those elected to power be able to establish the stable order that the people desire? For every nation that has gone through the experience of a coup, this transition is an exciting test. For us, the situation is doubly delicate. Is a coup d’état a temporary phenomenon after extended periods of conflict between citizens? This fear must have fallen into the hearts of the people during the excitement of elections. If that is the case, the new democratic rule will face even more challenges that the previous one.
