By 1950, the Democrat Party had come to portray itself as the champions of the Turkish people, resentful of the CHP and ruling elite classes, despite the fact that most of its leaders were members of this same bureaucratic class. The Democrat Party exploited the CHP's association with Westernization, a source of hostility for the public and a sign they were losing touch with their citizenry. Following the example of the DP, the CHP extended its efforts into the villages to compete for votes, inducting the peasantry into politics for the first time.Party Competition in Rural Turkey: Agent of Change or Defender of Traditional Rule?, Arnold Leder. Middle Eastern Studies, Vol. 15, No. 1 (Jan., 1979), pp. 82-105. Published by: Taylor & Francis, Ltd.
