Alparslan Türkes
Encyclopedia
Alparslan Türkeş was a Cypriot
-born Turkish
nationalist
politician who was the founder and former president of the Nationalist Movement Party
party. He represented the far right of the Turkish political spectrum, and was court-martial
ed on the charges of "fascist and racist activities" in 1945, with the charges being dismissed in 1947. He was called "Başbuğ" (Leader
) by his devotees.
, who was later executed after a trial following this coup. However Colonel
Türkeş was expelled by an internal coup within the junta. He later joined the Republican Villager Nation Party and was elected its chairman. In 1969 the CKMP was renamed the Nationalist Movement Party
.
Türkeş served as Deputy Prime Minister
in right-wing National Front cabinets.
, moralism, societalism, scientism
, independentism, ruralism, progressivism
, populism
, industrialism, and technologism.
Türkeş led the vanguard of anti-communism
in Turkey; he was a founding member of the Counter-Guerrilla
, the Turkish Gladio.
He has been the spiritual leader of the Idealism Schools Foundation of Culture and Art . His followers consider him to be one of the leading icons of the Turkish nationalist movement.
, Elchibey chose as ministry of Interior İsgandar Hamidov
, a member of the Grey Wolves
who plead for the creation of a Greater Turkey
which would include northern Iran and extend itself to Siberia, India and China.
to support the Second Chechen War
and Ebulfeyz Elchibey in Azerbaijan. The money was formerly administered by Enver Altaylı, who had been implicated in the Azerbaijan coup plot. His daughters, Ayzıt and Umay Günay, quarreled over who was the rightful owner (legally, neither of them). The two appeared before the Ankara 7th High Penal Court for fraud. The indictment said that Türkeş' account in a U.K. branch of the Deutsche Bank
held 575,000 DM, 845,000 USD, and 367,000 GBP. The court concluded that Ayzıt had withdrawn 200,000 GBP while Umay Günay had withdrawn 42,000 GBP.
Ayzıt said that she had been living in the U.K. since 1975, and that her father opened the account in 1988, giving her complete access to it. She said that her father had instructed her to fulfill his financial obligations (in support of "the cause of Turkishness") upon his death by making certain payments. Türkeş' second wife, Seval, refuted Ayzıt's claim that she had not kept the money to herself. Seval claims that she and her sons' Ayyüce and Ahmet Kutalmış share of the withdrawn 242,000 GBP is 112,355 GBP.
The MHP's chairman, Devlet Bahçeli, instructed his deputies to keep mum, fearing that the scandal could lead to the dissolution of the party.
The case was closed due to the statute of limitations
.
Turkish Cypriots
Turkish Cypriots are the ethnic Turks and members of the Turkish-speaking ethnolinguistic community of the Eastern Mediterranean island of Cyprus. The term is used to refer explicitly to the indigenous Turkish Cypriots, whose Ottoman Turkish forbears colonised the island in 1571...
-born Turkish
Turkish people
Turkish people, also known as the "Turks" , are an ethnic group primarily living in Turkey and in the former lands of the Ottoman Empire where Turkish minorities had been established in Bulgaria, Cyprus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Greece, Kosovo, Macedonia, and Romania...
nationalist
Turkish nationalism
Turkish nationalism is a political ideology that promotes and glorifies the Turkish people, as either a national, ethnic or linguistic group and puts the interests of the state over other influences, including religious ones.-Pan-Turkism:...
politician who was the founder and former president of the Nationalist Movement Party
Nationalist Movement Party
The Nationalist Movement Party , is a far-right political party in Turkey.In the 2002 general elections, the party had lost its 129 seats as it had won only 8.34% of the national vote...
party. He represented the far right of the Turkish political spectrum, and was court-martial
Court-martial
A court-martial is a military court. A court-martial is empowered to determine the guilt of members of the armed forces subject to military law, and, if the defendant is found guilty, to decide upon punishment.Most militaries maintain a court-martial system to try cases in which a breach of...
ed on the charges of "fascist and racist activities" in 1945, with the charges being dismissed in 1947. He was called "Başbuğ" (Leader
Leader
A leader is one who influences or leads others.Leader may also refer to:- Newspapers :* Leading article, a piece of writing intended to promote an opinion, also called an editorial* The Leader , published 1909–1967...
) by his devotees.
Political career
He attained notoriety as the spokesman of the May 27, 1960 coup d'état against the government of then prime minister Adnan MenderesAdnan Menderes
Adnan Menderes was the first democratically elected Turkish Prime Minister between 1950–1960. He was one of the founders of the Democratic Party in 1946, the fourth legal opposition party of Turkey. He was hanged by the military junta after the 1960 coup d'état, along with two other cabinet...
, who was later executed after a trial following this coup. However Colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
Türkeş was expelled by an internal coup within the junta. He later joined the Republican Villager Nation Party and was elected its chairman. In 1969 the CKMP was renamed the Nationalist Movement Party
Nationalist Movement Party
The Nationalist Movement Party , is a far-right political party in Turkey.In the 2002 general elections, the party had lost its 129 seats as it had won only 8.34% of the national vote...
.
Türkeş served as Deputy Prime Minister
Deputy Prime Minister
A deputy prime minister or vice prime minister is, in some counties, a government minister who can take the position of acting prime minister when the prime minister is temporarily absent. The position is often likened to that of a vice president, but is significantly different, though both...
in right-wing National Front cabinets.
Ideology
Through the far-right MHP, Türkeş took the rightist views of his predecessors like Nihal Atsız, who is known for his explicitly racist views and transformed them into a powerful political force. In 1965, Türkeş released a political pamphlet titled "Dokuz Işık Doktrini" (Nine Lights Doctrine). This text listed nine basic principles which formed the basis of the nationalist ideology. These were nationalism, idealismIdealism
In philosophy, idealism is the family of views which assert that reality, or reality as we can know it, is fundamentally mental, mentally constructed, or otherwise immaterial. Epistemologically, idealism manifests as a skepticism about the possibility of knowing any mind-independent thing...
, moralism, societalism, scientism
Scientism
Scientism refers to a belief in the universal applicability of the systematic methods and approach of science, especially the view that empirical science constitutes the most authoritative worldview or most valuable part of human learning to the exclusion of other viewpoints...
, independentism, ruralism, progressivism
Progressivism
Progressivism is an umbrella term for a political ideology advocating or favoring social, political, and economic reform or changes. Progressivism is often viewed by some conservatives, constitutionalists, and libertarians to be in opposition to conservative or reactionary ideologies.The...
, populism
Populism
Populism can be defined as an ideology, political philosophy, or type of discourse. Generally, a common theme compares "the people" against "the elite", and urges social and political system changes. It can also be defined as a rhetorical style employed by members of various political or social...
, industrialism, and technologism.
Türkeş led the vanguard of anti-communism
Anti-communism
Anti-communism is opposition to communism. Organized anti-communism developed in reaction to the rise of communism, especially after the 1917 October Revolution in Russia and the beginning of the Cold War in 1947.-Objections to communist theory:...
in Turkey; he was a founding member of the Counter-Guerrilla
Counter-Guerrilla
Counter-Guerrilla is the Turkish branch of Operation Gladio, a clandestine stay-behind anti-communist initiative backed by the United States as an expression of the Truman Doctrine. The founding goal of the operation was to erect a guerrilla force capable of countering a possible Soviet invasion...
, the Turkish Gladio.
He has been the spiritual leader of the Idealism Schools Foundation of Culture and Art . His followers consider him to be one of the leading icons of the Turkish nationalist movement.
Support of Pan-Turkism
In 1992, Alparslan Türkeş went to Baku in 1992 to support his sympathizer Abulfaz Elchibey during the presidential election. Once elected as president of AzerbaijanPresident of Azerbaijan
The country of Azerbaijan is a presidential republic, with the President of Azerbaijan as the head of state, and the Prime Minister of Azerbaijan as head of government...
, Elchibey chose as ministry of Interior İsgandar Hamidov
Isgandar Hamidov
İsgender Hamidov is a former Minister of Internal Affairs of Azerbaijan who served in the Popular Front government of 1992-1993.As a chairman of Azerbaijan National Democrat Party, informally known as the Grey Wolves, Hamidov pled for...
, a member of the Grey Wolves
Grey Wolves
The Idealist Youth , commonly known as Grey Wolves , is an ultra-nationalist neo-fascist youth organization. It is accused of terrorism. According to Turkish authorities, the organization carried out 694 murders between 1974–1980.-Name:...
who plead for the creation of a Greater Turkey
Pan-Turkism
Pan-Turkism is a nationalist movement that emerged in 1880s among the Turkic intellectuals of the Russian Empire, with the aim of cultural and political unification of all Turkic peoples.-Name:...
which would include northern Iran and extend itself to Siberia, India and China.
Legacy
When he died, it was revealed that he had embezzled 2 trillion lira from the European Turkish Federation. The pan-Turkist group had created a secret slush fundSlush fund
A slush fund, colloquially, is an auxiliary monetary account or a reserve fund. However, in the context of corrupt dealings, such as those by governments or large corporations, a slush fund can have particular connotations of illegality, illegitimacy, or secrecy in regard to the use of this money...
to support the Second Chechen War
Second Chechen War
The Second Chechen War, in a later phase better known as the War in the North Caucasus, was launched by the Russian Federation starting 26 August 1999, in response to the Invasion of Dagestan by the Islamic International Peacekeeping Brigade ....
and Ebulfeyz Elchibey in Azerbaijan. The money was formerly administered by Enver Altaylı, who had been implicated in the Azerbaijan coup plot. His daughters, Ayzıt and Umay Günay, quarreled over who was the rightful owner (legally, neither of them). The two appeared before the Ankara 7th High Penal Court for fraud. The indictment said that Türkeş' account in a U.K. branch of the Deutsche Bank
Deutsche Bank
Deutsche Bank AG is a global financial service company with its headquarters in Frankfurt, Germany. It employs more than 100,000 people in over 70 countries, and has a large presence in Europe, the Americas, Asia Pacific and the emerging markets...
held 575,000 DM, 845,000 USD, and 367,000 GBP. The court concluded that Ayzıt had withdrawn 200,000 GBP while Umay Günay had withdrawn 42,000 GBP.
Ayzıt said that she had been living in the U.K. since 1975, and that her father opened the account in 1988, giving her complete access to it. She said that her father had instructed her to fulfill his financial obligations (in support of "the cause of Turkishness") upon his death by making certain payments. Türkeş' second wife, Seval, refuted Ayzıt's claim that she had not kept the money to herself. Seval claims that she and her sons' Ayyüce and Ahmet Kutalmış share of the withdrawn 242,000 GBP is 112,355 GBP.
The MHP's chairman, Devlet Bahçeli, instructed his deputies to keep mum, fearing that the scandal could lead to the dissolution of the party.
The case was closed due to the statute of limitations
Statute of limitations
A statute of limitations is an enactment in a common law legal system that sets the maximum time after an event that legal proceedings based on that event may be initiated...
.