What Was The Press Thinking About The 14’s? The 14’s From Akis’s Eye (13 November 1960- 30 June 1963)

Abstract

One of the most important elements of democratic systems is the press. The press has many functions such as enlightening and educating the society, controlling the government and directing its activities, creating public opinion. Because of these functions, the importance of the media's relationship with the events in the political arena, especially in democratic systems, becomes evident. Considering its impact on the developments in the political arena in the history of the Turkish press, it is seen that Akis magazine has an important place. As a result of the felt need for weekly political news magazines with the transition to multi-party life in Turkey, Akis magazine started to be published by Metin Toker on 15 May 1954. Considering both the DP practices before the 27 May revolution and its struggle to ensure the democratic system in the events that followed the revolution, it can be said that the magazine undertook the mission of the fourth force in democratic systems. At this point, one of the developments in which this struggle of the magazine will be clearly seen is the event of the 14s among the developments experienced in the period after the revolution. As it is known, after the May 27 revolution, 14 officers who wanted to rule the country with a military regime were purged from the MBK on 13 November 1960. In this study, it has been tried to examine and evaluate the way the 14s, which were liquidated from the MBK after the military intervention on 27 May, were handled in Akis magazine. Thus, it was aimed to reveal what kind of public opinion was wanted to create about 14s in Akis magazine, one of the important media organs of the period. As a result of the analysis, it was determined that Akis magazine was against the 14s. In this framework, it was seen that the magazine put forward its approach with a critical attitude regarding the 13 November operation and the activities of the 14s in the following period. At this point, it was determined that Akis took an approach towards the 14s incident, in favor of the continuity of the democratic system and with a pro-CHP attitude.