The Free Republican Party in the political cartoons of the 1930s

The Free Republican Party (FRP; Serbest Cumhuriyet Flrkasl), founded and dissolved in 1930, represented the second attempt to transition to a multi-party system in Turkey, following the formation of the Progressive Republican Party (Terakkiperver Cumhuriyet Flrkasl) in 1924. In contrast to the oppositional establishment of the latter, the FRP seemed to be a state-originated project whose establishment was decided upon by the elites of the day, led by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. Its representation in contemporary cartoons is deemed important today given the political cartoon's ability to simplify complex political messages into understandable symbols and metaphors and to address or reach those who may not be literate. Taking into account the social structure of society during this period, this aspect of the reach of cartoons becomes particularly important. Political cartoons' ability to both support the text in a newspaper and penetrate historical memory through stereotypes is also significant in terms of the representation of personalities and events. This article will attempt to analyze the formation of the FRP and the depiction of its elites through newspaper cartoons. Three prominent and pro-Republican People's Party (Cumhuriyet Halk Partisi) newspapers of this period - namely Cumhuriyet, Milliyet, and Vakit - will provide the material for the content and thematic analysis of the study. © New Perspectives on Turkey and Cambridge University Press 2015.