Alparslan Türkeş

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Alparslan Türkeş (November 25, 1917 in Nicosia, Cyprus – April 5, 1997 in Ankara, Turkey) was a Turkish ultra-nationalist politician, who was called "Başbuğ" (commander, führer) by his devotees. He was influential in Turkish politics both as a military man, and later as a politician. His name was a nom de guerre he took as an official name after 1934. His former name is a subject of debate. Many Turkish sources such as Büyük Larousse Sözlük ve Ansiklopedisi cite that he was born as "Hüseyin Feyzullah" but his followers staunchly defend that his original name was "Ali Arslan". He was called His close friends and old acquaintances called him Albay (Colonel).

He attained notoriety as the spokesman of the May 27, 1960 coup d'état against the government of then prime minister Adnan Menderes, 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 Cumhuriyetçi Köylü Millet Partisi (CKMP, Republican Peasants Nation Party) and elected its chairman. in 1969 CKMP was renamed Milliyetçi Hareket Partisi or MHP. He had mixed success in party politics. Through the MHP, Türkeş took the ultra-rightist views of his predecessors like Nihal Atsiz and transformed them into a powerful and legitimate political force. In 1965, Türkeş released a political pamphlet titled "Dokuz Işık" (Nine Lights). This text listed nine principles which formed the basis of the MHP's ideology. These were nationalism, idealism, moralism, societalism, scientism, independentism, ruralism, progressivism & populism, and industrialism & technologism.

Türkeş served as Deputy Prime Minister in right-wing Milliyetçi Cephe (Nationalistic Front) cabinets. In his later life he was respected as an elderly statesman as per Turkish tradition and frequently advised fellow politicians of various parties.

In 1992, Alparslan Türkeş went to Baku in 1992 to support Abülfaz Elçibay, who openly described himself as sympathiser of the ultranationalist group, during the presidential election. Once elected as president of Azerbaijan, Elçibay 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. Hamidov resigned in April 1993 after having threatened Armenia with a nuclear strike.^[1]

Türkeş is considered to be a fascist by many people due to his active struggle against political left and his views on the superiority of the Turkish race.^{[citation needed]} He has been the sole leader of the paramilitary anti-communist and fascist organization known as 'Ülkü Ocakları', and he has been accused of being directly responsible for the assassination of many trade unionists, leftist activists, and students especially during the latter half of 1970s. His followers consider him to be one of the leading icons of the Turkish (Turk-Islam) nationalist movement.

[edit] Trivia

The WW II strategy game Hearts of Iron 2 includes Türkeş as a Turkish officer with a rank of Major General. The game rates Türkeş's skill as a general a zero out of five, possibly because in real life he was only a First Lieutenant during the time of the war.

[edit] References

[edit] Works

• "Dokuz Işık"(Nine Lights) (1965)
• "1944 Milliyetçilik Olayı"(1944 Incident of Nationalism) (1968)
• "Türkiye'nin Sorunları"(Problems of Turkey) (1969)
• "Yeni Ufuklara Doğru"(Towards New Horizons) (1972)
• "27 Mayıs - 13 Kasım, 27 Mayıs ve Gerçekleri"(May 27 - November 13, May 27 and its truths) (1977)
• "Temel Görüşler"(Fundamental Views) (1977)