ABSTRACT
Despite the alliance with Great Britain, Turkey remained neutral throughout the Second World War, watching the turn of events with the utmost caution. Opinion in ruling-party circles see-sawed according to the fortunes of the belligerents and until the Nazi defeat at Stalingrad in January 1943 Berlin benefited from Ankara’s benevolent neutrality. But as the tide began to turn against the Axis powers so did political attitudes and policy among Turkey’s ruling circles. The notorious Capital Tax (Varlik Vergisi) of November 1942, which had discriminated against the minorities, was abandoned in stages, being repealed finally in March 1944. This was an open confession of the failure of arbitrary government which had so alienated the entire bourgeoisie; the landlords and peasants had been alienated by laws which virtually allowed forced collection of farm produce. The retirement of Marshal Fevzi Çakmak (Chief of Staff since 1921) on 12 January 1944, with the explanation that the government intended to establish civilian control over the armed forces, signalled the loosening of the mono-party regime. He was conservative, authoritarian, and a believer in the autonomy of the soldier from any political interference. President Inönü, in his speech opening the new session of the Assembly on 1 November 1945, hinted that he was prepared to make major adjustments in the political system and to bring it in line with the changed circumstances in the world, a reference to the victory of the democracies over fascism. The main deficiency in the Turkish system, he noted, was the lack of an opposition party and he was now prepared to allow the formation of such a body.
