Experiment in Restraint

An unexpected atmosphere of sweetness and restraint has fallen on Turkey's landscape of savage political warfare, and no Turk can imagine how long it will last. Premier Adnan Menderes' economic troubles seem to be at the bottom of it. While exploiting his Democratic Party's 455-to-86 Assembly majority to enact a whole series of laws curbing the press and restraining political discussions, the tough-minded Premier has pushed his all-out campaign to expand Turkey's productive capacity so far that Turkey is heading for a stern economic reckoning.

Last month, with all competent advisers (including U.S.) telling him he was "going too fast with too little," Menderes introduced a budget one-fourth larger than last year's inflationary extravaganza. Items: a new 40% levy on all imports, a 70% sales tax on some 260 kinds of so-called luxury products. Overnight, prices shot up a further 30% to 40%, and even the hardiest Democrats began muttering in the bazaars.

But instead of joining in the parliamentary free-for-all, grey, old (72) Republican Ismet Inonu, Turkey's respected World War II President who was so spectacularly overturned by Menderes' Democrats in the 1950 elections, rose from his third-row Opposition bench to say: "I appreciate the pressure on the government to pass this budget. I am prepared to help, provided I have a promise to open a debate on the problems of the political regime." To start with, gruffed the old pasha, let the government reconstitute the little province of Kirsehir, which it split up three years ago only because it voted for the Opposition.

"My Pasha." That afternoon Menderes, who for years has suggested that Inonu is little better than a superannuated blunderer, rose at his front desk to praise "my pasha" as "a statesman who holds an assured place in history as one of Turkey's greatest men." Then he said: "The government is willing to consider all the issues presented by the Opposition if they are presented in moderate ways."

Menderes immediately introduced a bill restoring the lost province. Then his budget sailed through--opposed by Inonu's followers, but with such decorum and restraint as the Assembly had not witnessed in years. Last week, at a party congress in Izmir, Inonu saluted Menderes' pledge as "the beginning of a new political era in Turkey." Inonu set out politely but firmly the terms on which the party of the late great Kemal Ataturk would back "Mr. Menderes' announced policy of political peace": 1) removal of political pressure on the courts; 2) freeing of the press from restrictive laws; 3) freeing of universities from "administrative and political oppression"; and 4) a change in election laws to permit the same freedom of speech that existed during the elections of 1950 when the Democrats came to power.

His Hint. The next move is up to Premier Menderes, who has hinted that he might begin by relaxing enforcement of his controversial laws. One conspicuous place where he might start is the case of Kasim Gulek, the Columbia University Ph.D. who is secretary-general of the opposition Republican Party. Gulek missed last week's party congress; he was in Istanbul to defend himself against one of the dozen or more harassing charges the government has brought against him, trying to silence his political speaking.

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so reader's discretion is required.