İnönü and Ecevit first reconcile, then part ways
In strong disagreement over the Memorandum of March 12, 1971, CHP General President İsmet İnönü and former General Secretary Bülent Ecevit overcame their resentment after one year through the efforts of İnönü. Inviting Ecevit to his home on March 17, 1972 with the words, “Today is not the day for rifts,” İnönü rode in the same car with Ecevit after their meeting and entered the hall of the Party Council meeting arm in arm with him. This act was met by a round of applause from the Party Council.
However, this apparent reunion did not last very long. In the 5th Extraordinary General Assembly convened in May of 1972, İnönü openly opposed the “Ecevit Left” and announced that he would resign from the presidency if his views were not supported by the party. When 709 pro-Ecevit members of the General Assembly outvoted the other 507 in the vote of confidence held for the Party Council, İnönü resigned from the General Presidency of CHP on May 8, 1972.
As the first general president to be changed following an internal party conflict in the history of Turkish politics, İnönü resigned from CHP membership on November 4, 1972 and from his post at the Parliament as a deputy on November 14, 1972. Upon his application, he assumed his constitutional seat for former presidents in the to the Senate of the Republic.
