Ataturk created the modern Turkey. After his death, his subordinents had to carry on while voters and the army decide if they measure up. So slip on your smoking jacket, fill your pipe, take your first sip of your adult beverage, and sit back in your most comfortable chair. Welcome to todays offering from The Philatelist.
Seeing Ataturk in his formal western finery over 20 years after his death is a testament to his influence. Yet it is very limiting on what is acceptable after he was gone. The two major parties were both run by aging men that had served under Ataturk. What Ataturk might have done was the limit of what was possible. Now there were elections where most of the voters are looking forward not back. On the other side is the army to make sure Ataturk’s track was the only one open.
Todays stamp is issue A325, a 30 Kurush stamp issued by the Republic of Turkey in 1962. It was a 6 stamp issue in various denominations that displayed the late President Ataturk in a tuxedo. According to the Scott catalog, the stamp is worth 30 cents used.
When Ataturk died in 1938 he was replaced with former Prime Minister Mustafa Ismet Inonu. Ismet was fairly masterful in playing the two sides off of each other and staying out of World War II. He declared war on Germany in February 1945 when Germany no longer had troops on the border. He quickly worked for an alliance with the west. The Soviet Union was very desirous of naval bases in the Dardanelles that would prevent the Soviet Black Sea fleet from being bottled up in their few warm water ports. Truman offered Turkey membership in NATO and mountains of aid. With that influence came pressure that Turkey move toward multiparty democracy. In 1946, another former Ataturk Prime Minister Celal Bayar, formed a more liberal political party.
In the 1950 election, Bayar’s slogan was when Ismet came our fortunes left. This was a little unfair, as imagine how many fortunes would have left if a more foolish President had gotten into a war with Germany or the Soviet Union. It does make the point that pocketbook issues are important and economic progress can come slowly. Bayar won and there was a peaceful transfer of power. As the 50s went on, economic progress stayed slow but the death of Stalin saw the Soviet government withdraw claims to the Dardanelles. With the crisis passed, American aid faded and Bayar had the idea of improving relations with the Soviet Union in the hope of extracting aid from them.
This proved to be too much for the Turkish Army. They understood that the Soviet fleet was still bottled up in the Black Sea and any aid would be tied to fixing that. Bayar was overthrown in a coup and there was a big purge in the government with many including Bayar jailed for treason and some even executed. The army marketed this as protecting Ataturk’s legacy. The next year there was an election where Bayar’s party was banned and Ismet’s party returned to power. The people showed they were not completely behind it by not giving Ismet enough votes to avoid a weak coalition government, but at least the army returned to barracks. In 1965 Bayar’s party, still without Bayar, won but the army decided on another coup in 1970.
This seems quite a iffy situation to allow for NATO membership, but the prospect of keeping the Soviet fleet bottled up on the Black Sea and having the Soviets worried about their southern flank was too attractive militarily. Erdogan is now the new Ottoman Emperor and suddenly there are no more Turkish Ataturk stamps. Yet perhaps there is a reason that he seems so paranoid about a coup. Also reasons why President Trump hems and haws about letting Turkey buy and build under license NATO level weapons.
Well my drink is empty and I will pour another to toast all the good men who labor in the shadow of great men. Come again tomorrow for another story that can be learned from stamp collecting.