TURKEY: Kamal Cracks Down

Kamâl Cracks Down

Forceful, champagne-swizzling President KamĊl Atatürk has his heroic occupation listed in the British Who’s Who as “Renovator of Turkey.” Last week Istanbul’s usually authoritative newsorgan Tan declared that when the Grand National Assembly meets November 1, Renovator KamĊl Atatürk is going to change the Turkish Constitution radically and order new elections held. Promptly KamĊl Atatürk cracked down on Tan for “disseminating false news likely to cause harm to the State,” punished the paper by suspending it for ten days, succeeded not at all in calming political excitement in Turkey.

Reason: Turks suddenly found themselves last week with a new Premier, former Economics Minister Jelal Bayar, replacing famed General Ismet Inönü who has been Premier almost as long as KamĊl Atatürk has been Dictator (15 years). It was as if Dictator Hitler had suddenly replaced Four-Year-Plan Director General Goring by Dr. Hjalmar Schacht (see col. 2). Moreover, Renovator KamĊl Atatürk brusquely called back last week from the League of Nations session famed Turkish Foreign Minister Dr. Tewfik Rushtu Aras, a onetime obstetrician who was present at the accouchement of Young Turkey and has represented her abroad for so long that his weak eyes, peering keenly from behind thick-lensed spectacles of highest power have become fixtures at the green tables of Europe’s diplomats.

The recall of Turkey’s Foreign Minister suggested a likely explanation for the wrath of Turkey’s Dictator and the fall of Turkey’s Premier. At the Nyon Conference recently myopic Dr. Tewfik Rushtu Aras was cajoled by Soviet Foreign Commissar Maxim Litvinoff into agreeing that British and French ships assigned to patrol the seas around Turkey for “pirates” (TIME, Sept. 27) should be permitted to base their operations in Turkish ports. Next thing Dr. Aras knew Turkey had failed at Geneva, even with the aid of Comrade Litvinoff, to be re-elected to the League Council by the Assembly.

Dictator KamĊl Atatürk is not of the stuff to stand for war boats of the Great Powers receiving special facilities in Turkish ports, especially at a moment when Turkey is dropped from their Council. In Ankara last week reports were that General Inönü had backed up Dr. Aras and been cracked down upon for his pains. The British and French were quietly informed that the Turkish Government “interprets” the Nyon agreement as not affording any special Turkish facilities in the pirate patrol.

Said a member of President KamĊl Atatürk’s entourage: “New requirements of the Turkish nation require new men to meet them and the President is resolved the Cabinet shall consist of young, bright and able statesmen. The time is now opportune for the replacement of a military premier (General Inönü) by an expert economist (new Premier Bayar) more likely to succeed in assuring the Turkish people of economic security. The President believes that the military phase of the Turkish Revolution is now concluded and the nation has ample means of defense. The second phase of the Turkish Revolution is now starting. It is based on securing the fullest international cooperation with the economic domain of Turkey for unless such co-operation is obtained the President considers the elimination of the risks of war impossible.” Simultaneously Turkish newsorgans all carried dispatches reaffirming the deathless personal friendship of Renovator KamĊl Atatürk and General Ismet Inönü who was slated to be elected President of the Grand National Assembly.