Some 30 members of the Democratic Party, the government party, have been expelled from the party for adherence to the racist views of the anti-Semitic, ultra-nationalist “Turkish Nationalist Association,” it was announced here today. The Association was outlawed several weeks ago.
Two of the 30 are members of the National Assembly, the Turkish Parliament, which is considering lifting the two deputies’ parliamentary immunity. The party is also reported to have under consideration a proposal of 21 other National Assembly deputies who espouse racist views.
Meanwhile, at an annual conference of the Democratic Party in Ankara, Premier Adrian Menderes pledged that his government will respect the religious beliefs of all citizens. His Foreign Minister, Fuat Koprulu, told the parley that the “racist movement” threatens to destroy the nation’s unity and its very life. He pointed to what had happened to Hitler Germany as a warning to the Turkish racists.
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