ABSTRACT
Turkish political parties and the party system have undergone major changes during recent decades. While pressures created by rapid socio-economic change have promoted this transformation, military interventions that have led to the closing of political parties have interjected an element of discontinuity into the picture. The Republican People's Party ( Cumhuriyet Halk Partisi, CHP) in this context constitutes a remarkable contrast to others, having a history that goes back to 1923. Like others, the party was closed after the 1980 military coup. But, unlike many others, it reconstituted itself shortly after its reopening became a possibility and today the CHP has become the major opposition party. The next sections examine the party's history, values, organization, competitive strategy and electoral campaign politics.
