İZMİR’DE DEMOKRAT PARTİ TEŞKİLATININ KURULUŞU

Single-party period of the Republic of Turkey lasted 23 years. The Republic of Turkey, from its foundation to the end of the World War II, was governed by single-party.However developments occured both within and outside the country from the beginning of 1945, created the conditions for transition to multi-party regime. The first party founded against Republican People's Party (Cumhuriyet Halk Partisi - CHP) was National Development Party (Milli Kalkınma Partisi) under the leadership of Nuri Demirağ. Yet the Democratic Party, which was founded by Celal Bayar on January 7, 1946, became the first of the opposition parties to rise to power by taking support of large majority of the Turkish population and ended the 27-year rule of Republican People's Party. After its official foundation, The Democratic Party began to establish its organization. One of the first provincial organizations of the party was established in Izmir. The founders of Democratic Party gave particular importance to the Aegean Region and its center Izmir, because Izmir was one of the most democratic cities of the country and the party, which could take Izmir’s support, could also be successful throughout the nation. The people of Izmir did not disappoint the Democratic Party and embraced the new party in a short time. The main subject of this study is the establishment process of the Democratic Party in Izmir, which in later years will be called the castle of the Democratic Party. The provincial organization of the party will be covered in detail by using data from media of the period as primary source.