Osman Bölükbaşı

Politician, educator (B. 1913, Hasanlar Village/ Mucur / Kırşehir – D. 6 February 2002, Ankara). He is the father of Deniz Bölükbaşı, retired ambassador and former parliament member of Ankara. He completed his secondary education at Istanbul Erkek High School. He graduated from Nancy University, Faculty of Science, and Department of Mathematics in France (1937). Upon his return to Turkey in 1938 he started to work as an assistant in Kandilli Observatory. He was appointed teacher of mathematics in Haydarpaşa High School in 1940.

After Osman Bölükbaşı entered Demokrat Party (DP) in 1946, his political career started. He worked in the party’s general inspection unit; however he left DP in 1947 with a group which supported a rigid policy against Cumhuriyet Halk Partisi Party (CHP) Government. He was one of the founders of Millet Party (MP) which was established in July 1948. In 1949 he was arrested due to a claim of conspiracy against İsmet İnönü and Celâl Bayar but released after a while. In General Elections of 1950 he was elected Parliament Member and entered Grand National Assembly of Turkey (TBMM) as the only representative of Millet Party.  

However Millet Party was closed in 1953 basing on an excuse of producing anti-secular policies. Bölükbaşı upon this founded Cumhuriyetçi Millet Party (CMP) with a group of former members of MP (February 1954). He was chosen as the party leader. In general elections of 1954 he received almost the whole of Kırşehir votes and reelected as parliament member. In this period his personality attracted more attention than the policy his party followed. DP government in rule upon this punished him in a curious way, turning Kırşehir into a district and attaching it to Nevşehir.

Bölükbaşı who heavily criticized the government was arrested with the claim of having insulted TBMM in July 1957. Kırşehir in June 1957 again became a city; however its former districts Avanos, Kozaklı and Hacıbektaş remained as districts of Nevşehir. Osman Bölükbaşı’s village Hasanlar also was not reattached to Kırşehir but left to Nevşehir.

In general elections of 1957 which were realized in such a tense atmosphere Bölükbaşı entered the parliament again with four parliament members elected from CMP. Since he was in prison during elections he realized his PM oath in Ankara Central Prison’s 10^th wing in front of other convicts. He was appointed party leader of Cumhuriyetçi Köylü Millet Party (CKMP) which was established on the union of CMP and Turkish Peasants’ Party in 1958 in order to create a union of forces against DP. In 1959 he was again condemned to ten months imprisonment.

Osman Bölükbaşı after the military coup of 27 May 1960 entered the Constituent Assembly representing CKMP (6 January 1961 - 15 October 1961). He took an irreconcilable attitude in 1961 general elections and refused to join the coalition government with its Prime Minister İsmet İnönü. However when CKMP joined in June 1962 the 2^nd Coalition Government established by İsmet İnönü he left CKMP with twenty-eight parliament members and established the Nation’s Party for the second time. The Millet Party joined the coalition government established under the leadership of Suat Hayri Ürgüplü in February 1965 başkanlığında, however Bölükbaşı did not serve in this government and started to criticize the government openly.

Bölükbaşı left party leadership of Nation’s Party in 1972 and left the party. He showed as reason the disagreements within the party and finally injustice done to his friend in active politics Hasan Koçdemir. The former Commander of Army Cemal Tural was appointed party leader replacing Bölükbaşı. Bölükbaşı resigned from Ankara Parliament Membership on the 9^th of September 1973 he had been serving since 1961 and retreated from active politics.

Osman Bölükbaşı gained the love of people with his attractive personality, honesty, outspokenness, rhetorical skills, humor, wittiness and passionate temperament. He was granted nicknames of “Nazar Boncuğu (T.N. Blue bead worn in Turkish culture against the evil eye)”, “TIRT Osman” and “Anadolu Fırtınası (T.N. Anatolian Storm)”. Talkative people were called “Bölükbaşı chin” referring to him.

He gathered wide masses in meetings and was known for his explanations of international and national problems in a simple and humorous way. He was one of the prominent orators of the last period. His conversations, funny stories and poems were admired by people. He expressed his inner world in his poetry in a simple way. The places he talked were always full of people but the ones who came to listen to him not always voted for him.

WORKS:

Bölükbaşı Konuşuyor (1957), Bölükbaşı’nın Menderes’e Cevapları (1960), 2.10.1961 Saat 20.20’de Radyoda Bölükbaşı’nın Tarihî Açıklaması (1961), Zarurî Bir Açıklama (1962), Millet Partisi TBMM Grubu Adına Genel Başkan Osman Bölükbaşı’nın Af Kanununun Veto Edilmesi için Sayın Cumhurbaşkanına Sunduğu Muhtıra (1966), Bölükbaşı’nın Radyo Konuşmaları (1966).

REFERENCE:  Afşin Oktay - Kemal Bağlum / Biyografiler Ansiklopedisi (1959), TBMM Albümü (1920-1996), Türk Dili ve Edebiyatı Ansiklopedisi (1977), Türk ve Dünya Ünlüleri Ansiklopedisi (1983-1984), İhsan Işık / Türkiye Yazarlar Ansiklopedisi (2001, 2004) - Resimli ve Metin Örnekli Türkiye Edebiyatçılar ve Kültür Adamları Ansiklopedisi (2006, gen. 2. bas. 2007) – Ünlü Devlet Adamları (Türkiye Ünlüleri Ansiklopedisi, C. 1, 2013) - Encyclopedia of Turkey’s Famous People (2013). TDOE-TDE Ansiklopedisi 2 (2002), Mehmet Atilla Maraş / Şair Milletvekilleri 1 - 22. Dönem 1920-2005 (2005), Deniz Bölükbaşı / Osman Bölükbaşı: Türk Siyasetinde Anadolu Fırtınası (2005), Fatih Artvinli / Osman Bölükbaşı: Seraba Harcanmış Bir Ömür (2007).