The Investigation Committee And The Press Before The May 27, 1960 Coup: Press-Politics Relations In The Context Of Telephone Conversations Between CHP Members And Journalists

This article examines the relationship between the Democrat Party (DP) and the opposition press in the period leading up to the 27 May 1960 military coup. Following the 1957 elections, the DP sought to exert greater control over interactions between the press and the opposition by establishing the Investigation Commission. The focus of the article is on the surveillance of telephone conversations between members of the Republican People's Party (CHP) and journalists by the DP government, and how this surveillance was utilised as a tool to tighten control over the opposition. The wiretapping not only monitored political activities but also impacted the independence of the press, limiting the public’s access to accurate information. The DP's attempts to regulate the opposition and the media weakened the functioning of democracy and restricted press freedom in Turkey. This article analyses the effects of these measures, how wiretapping harmed press-politics relations, and the broader implications for democracy during this period.