The Workers' Trade Union Movement in Turkey (1945-1975)

Abstract

The study explores the development of the workers' trade union movement in Turkey after World War II. It examines the class struggle between labor and capital, as well as the opposition between revolutionary and reformist tendencies within the movement. The paper analyzes the specific socio-economic and political conditions in Turkey, such as the relatively low number of factory workers, the absence of a legal communist party, and the influence of nationalist ideas. Additionally, it highlights the stabilizing role of trade unions in Turkey's postwar history and their ideological and organizational evolution compared to those in Western capitalist countries. The research relies on Soviet historiography, Turkish and Bulgarian archives, and various publications to present a comprehensive view of the movement's development, including the emergence of key trade union organizations like Türk-İş and DİSK.