# National Unity Committee

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Military government of Turkey from 1960 to 1961

For the Bolivian political party, see [National Unity Committee (Bolivia)](/source/National_Unity_Committee_(Bolivia)).

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National Unity Committee Agency overview Formed May 27, 1960 (1960-05-27) Dissolved October 26, 1961 (1961-10-26) Superseding agency Senate of The Republic Type Legislative body and executive body Upper house of Constituent Assembly Agency executive Cemal Gürsel, Chairman

The **National Unity Committee** ([Turkish](/source/Turkish_language): *Milli Birlik Komitesi*; **MBK**) was a [military junta](/source/Military_junta) formed following the [1960 Turkish coup d'état](/source/1960_Turkish_coup_d'%C3%A9tat). It dissolved with the [1961 general election](/source/1961_Turkish_general_election).

## Background

Between 1950 and 1960, the ruling party in Turkey was [Democrat Party](/source/Democrat_Party_(Turkey%2C_1946%E2%80%9361)) (DP). Towards 1960, Turkey faced political corruption and economic crises, in which the Turkish currency was devalued from ₺2.80 to ₺9.00 for US$1.00.[1] Rise in commodity prices and scarcity of imported industrial goods caused unrest, and consequently political support for the DP decreased while it increased for the opposition, especially the [Republican People's Party](/source/Republican_People's_Party) (CHP). The DP government tried to suppress a revival of the CHP by banning its public activities. In 1959, [İsmet İnönü](/source/%C4%B0smet_%C4%B0n%C3%B6n%C3%BC), the leader of the CHP, was assaulted at rallies by DP sympathizers in [Uşak](/source/U%C5%9Fak) on May 1 and in [Istanbul](/source/Istanbul) on May 4.[2][3] The press was set under heavy censorship. Many journalists, including popular columnist [Metin Toker](/source/Metin_Toker), as well as profiled opposition politicians, such as [Osman Bölükbaşı](/source/Osman_B%C3%B6l%C3%BCkba%C5%9F%C4%B1), the leader of the [Republican Villagers Nation Party](/source/Republican_Villagers_Nation_Party) (CKMP), were arrested. On April 27, 1960, the parliamentary group of the DP, which held the majority in the parliament, passed a law to form a [Committee of Inquest](/source/Committee_of_Inquest), which was authorized with the powers of a court. The committee, composed of DP deputies only, was tasked with inquires about the members of the opposition parties and the press.[4]

## The committee

Main article: [1960 Turkish coup d'état](/source/1960_Turkish_coup_d'%C3%A9tat)

On May 27, 1960, a group of military officers staged a coup d'état. The revolting officers did not act in the traditional military hierarchy. The [chief of general staff](/source/List_of_Chiefs_of_the_Turkish_General_Staff), commanders of the [air](/source/Turkish_Air_Force) and [naval](/source/Turkish_Navy) forces were not among the group, and the commander of the [land](/source/Turkish_Army) forces General [Cemal Gürsel](/source/Cemal_G%C3%BCrsel) joined the group only after the operation began.[5] The number of generals in the group with 38 members was only five while the remaining officers were of lower ranks, such as colonel, major or even captain.[6]

Below is the list of the committee members:[7]

Name Rank Force Cemal Gürsel Army general Land Fahri Özdilek Army general Land Cemal Madanoğlu Lieutenant general Land Sıtkı Ulay Brigadier general Land İrfan Baştuğ Brigadier general Land Ekrem Acuner Colonel Land Osman Köksal Colonel Land Fikret Kuytak Colonel Land Sami Küçük Colonel Land Muzaffer Yurdakuler Colonel Land Haydar Tunçkanat Colonel Air Refet Aksoyoğlu Lieutenant colonel Land Kadri Kaplan Lieutenant colonel Land Suphi Karaman Lieutenant colonel Land Sezai Okan Lieutenant colonel Land Mucip Ataklı Lieutenant colonel Air Mehmet Özgüneş Major Land Vehbi Ersü Major Land Suphi Gürsoytrak Major Land Şükran Özkaya Major Land Ahmet Yıldız Major Land Selahattin Özgür Lieutenant commander Naval Kamil Karavelioğlu Captain Land Emanullah Çelebi Captain Air Alparslan Türkeş Colonel Land Orhan Kabibay Lieutenant colonel Land Mustafa Kaplan Lieutenant colonel Land Orhan Erkanlı Major Land Muzaffer Karan Major Land Şefik Soyuyüce Major Land Fazıl Akkoyunlu Major Land Dündar Taşer Major Land Münir Köseoğlu Lieutenant commander Naval Numan Esin Captain Land İrfan Solmazer Captain Land Muzaffer Özdağ Captain Land Rıfat Baykal Naval lieutenant Naval Ahmet Er Captain Gendarmerie

The chairman of the committee was Cemal Gürsel. He became also the prime minister in the [24th](/source/24th_government_of_Turkey) and [25th government of Turkey](/source/25th_government_of_Turkey) during the military regime.

Among other generals, Irfan Baştuğ died in a traffic accident on September 12, 1960 and [Cemal Madanoğlu](/source/Cemal_Madano%C4%9Flu) resigned from the committee on July 7, 1961, both during the military regime.

## The Fourteen

Main article: [The Fourteen](/source/The_Fourteen)

While Cemal Gürsel was trying to re-establish the civilian regime as soon as possible, fourteen members of the committee under the leadership of Colonel [Alparslan Türkeş](/source/Alparslan_T%C3%BCrke%C5%9F) were planning to continue the military regime with the intention of making reforms. On September 13, 1960, they were expelled from the committee[8] (Their names are marked by yellow color in the above list.). They were sent as diplomats to Turkish embassies abroad. Although they were later given pardon, they could never return to the committee. In later years, Alparslan Türkeş became the leader of the [Republican Villagers Nation Party](/source/Republican_Villagers_Nation_Party) and renamed it to [Nationalist Movement Party](/source/Nationalist_Movement_Party).

## Aftermath

Following the [1961 general election](/source/1961_Turkish_general_election) on October 15, Turkey returned to civilian rule. Cemal Gürsel was elected [president](/source/President_of_Turkey). The other twenty-one members of the MBK became the permanent members of the [Turkish senate](/source/Senate_of_the_Republic_(Turkey)). In 1968 five of them were expelled from the Senate. The rest lost their memberships [in another coup](/source/1980_Turkish_coup_d'%C3%A9tat) in 1980.

## See also

- [1962 attempted coup in Turkey](/source/1962_attempted_coup_in_Turkey)

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** [On line bulletin of regulation (in Turkish)](http://www.mevzuatdergisi.com/2004/04a/02.htm)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** Metin Toker: *Demokrasimizin İsmet Paşalı Yılları, 1957–1960*, Bilgi Yayınevi, Istanbul, 1991, [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [975-494-246-3](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/975-494-246-3) p. 230

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** *Cumhuriyetin 75 yılı*, Tempo Yayıncılık, Istanbul, 1998, p. 141

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** Sina Akşin: *Kısa Türkiye Tarihi*, Türkiye İş Bankası Kültür Yayınları, Istanbul, 2011, [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-9944-88-172-2](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-9944-88-172-2) pp. 257-259

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** Örsan Öymen: Bir İhtilal Daha var ,[ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-605-111-772-0](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-605-111-772-0) p.240

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** [Turkish parliament page (in Turkish)](https://www.tbmm.gov.tr/TBMM_Album/Cilt4/index.html)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** ["Nedir page"](https://web.archive.org/web/20170202003521/http://www.nedir.cc/politika-ve-siyaset/milli-birlik-komitesi-uyeleri.html) (in Turkish). Archived from [the original](http://www.nedir.cc/politika-ve-siyaset/milli-birlik-komitesi-uyeleri.html) on 2017-02-02. Retrieved 2016-09-27.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** ["İnönü foundation page"](https://web.archive.org/web/20170814055147/http://www.ismetinonu.org.tr/index.php/component/content/article/101-kasim/2431-tarihte-bugun-13-kasim) (in Turkish). Archived from [the original](http://www.ismetinonu.org.tr/index.php/component/content/article/101-kasim/2431-tarihte-bugun-13-kasim) on 2017-08-14. Retrieved 2016-09-27.

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