WESTERN EUROPE

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP79T00865A001900310001-8
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 7
• Document Creation Date: December 20, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 22, 2005
• Sequence Number: 1
• Publication Date: October 14, 1975
• Content Type: NOTES

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Turkish Parliamentary Election Gives Stronger
Hand to Demirel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Spanish Military Being Drawn Into Political
Controversies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
DOS & DIA review(s) completed.
October 14, 1975
CONFIDENTIAL
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Turkish Parliamentary Election Gives Stronger
Hand to Demirel
The results of Turkey's midterm parliamen-
tary election Sunday have strengthened Prime
Minister Demirel both within his governing
coalition and with respect to his political
opposition.
Unofficial final returns show Demirel's
conservative Justice Party won 27 of the 54
Senate seats at stake and 5 of the 6 vacant
National Assembly seats. Although Bulent
Ecevit's Republican People's Party--Demirel's
main opponent--won a higher percentage of the
total vote (44.5 compared to 40.2 percent for
the Justice Party) the Republicans took only
25 Senate seats and 1 Assembly seat.
Ecevit will no doubt claim victory for his
Republican People's Party, pointing to its 11-
percentage point improvement over the 1973 general
election and its net gain of 17 Senate seats.
These statistics do not, however, appear accurately
to reflect the party's nationwide strength.
A larger percentage of the seats contested
on Sunday were in Republican strongholds than
would be the case in a general election. Despite
this disadvantage, Demirel's Justice Party improved
its percentage of the popular vote by some 10
percent.
Turkey's minor conservative parties did
poorly. US embassy officials believe this
indicates that Turkey may be gravitating back
toward a 2-party system, after 2 years during
which no party has had a majority and a series
of weak coalition or caretaker governments resulted.
October 14, 1975
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Among the small parties that lost ground
was Necmettin Erbakan's National Salvation Party,
a member of the government coalition. Erbakan's
recent uncompromising stands on a number of issues
had largely immobilized Demirel's government.
The party's poor showing could give Demirel an
excuse to ignore Erbakan and to be more flexible
than heretofore in dealing with pressing problems,
such as Cyprus.
Demirel will, of course, be sensitive to the
prospect of a national parliamentary election which
must be held in 1977, and could even take place
next year. He will want to avoid positions that
could harm his part 's chances for success at a
later date.
October 14, 1975
CONFIDENTIAL
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Spanish Military Being Drawn Into Political
Controversies
Spanish military officers are finding it
increasingly difficult to remain detached from
the country's political problems.
Three more middle-level officers were
arrested last week in Barcelona in connection
with the investigation of an underground network
of dissidents in the military. They were said
to be associated with the nine officers who were
arrested last July and are now being detained in
Madrid awaiting trial for illegal political activity.
Four of the nine are being held incommunicado, a
sign they will face serious charges.
The dissident group--known as the Democratic
Military Union--is composed of officers and non-
commissioned officers from the army, navy and
airforce.
Their goals include
Franco 's abdication, the establishment of a pluralist
party democracy, and improved standards of efficiency
in the armed forces.
The military also is divided over what role
it should play in restoring public order in Spain.
Ultrarightists would like_to see the army participate
October 14, 1975
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in the campaign against Spanish terrorists, but
a majority of Spanish senior officers seem to
disagree. They believe such a role would discredit
the army's image and make it more difficult for the
military to maintain order in the post-Franco period.
This latter theme was evident in two speeches
by senior Spanish officers over the weekend. Navy
Minister Admiral Pita de Veiga said Spain was living
through delicate moments and that it was the military's
task to "stand firm so that politicians can do their
politicking." General Guitana, commander of the
military academy took an even more reserved position
when he said simply, "The army is above politics."
I
October.14, 1975
CONFIDENTIAL
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Confidential
Confidential
Approved For Release 2006/03/17 : CIA-RDP79T00865AO01900310001-8