THE NATIONALIST ACTION PARTY AND THE IDEOLOGY OF PAN-TURKISM
The main purpose of this research is to show the role of Pan-Turkic ideas in the ideology of the Nationalist Action Party (NAP) and their transformations from the foundation of the party till now. The nationalistic and Pan-Turkic ideas were put at the basis of the NAP's ideology by Alparslan Türkeş which was presented in the doctrine of the “Nine Lights”. On the other hand, Islam was also highlighted for the party, which was considered the part of the Turkic culture and identity. NAP and its structures, the groups of “Ideologists” and “the Gray Wolves” were more active in the 1970s. The NAP’s activity was banned after the military coup of 1980, but it didn’t last long. It isn’t a secret that the Pan-Turkism ideas flourished after the collapse of the USSR, when the Turkish-speaking states became independent. In this regard the NAP's role is also important, because its presence is strong in the political system of Turkey. After the death of Alparslan Türkeş, Devlet Bahçeli became the leader of NAP. In our opinion, there were not any significant changes in the ideology of this party, because the Pan-Turkism and the nationalism continue to be the main ideas of the party.
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