Deniz Kuvvetleri Komutanlığı’ndan Milli Birlik Komitesi’ne Demokrat Parti Ekseninde Yassıada Analizi
Yassıada denildiğinde akla Demokrat Partililerin 27 Mayıs sonrasında yargılandığı yer gelmektedir. Ancak darbeden önceki süreçte bu adada neler olduğu ile ilgili bilgiler oldukça sınırlıdır. Hazırlanan çalışmanın amacı bu boşluğu doldurmaktır. Bizans’tan Osmanlı’ya sürgün yeri olarak kullanılan Yassıada, Cumhuriyet’in ilk yıllarında hazineye devredilmiştir. Sadece balıkçıların uğradığı adanın çehresi İkinci Dünya Savaşı’ndan sonra değişmeye başlamış, Deniz Kuvvetleri Komutanlığı’na verilen ada, Demokrat Parti döneminde komutanlığın eğitim merkezi haline gelmiştir. Bunun için ellili yıllarda pek çok inşa çalışmasına girişilen adada oluşturulan binalar maalesef bu tesisleri yapanlar için hapishaneye dönüştürülmüştür. Demokrat Partililerin 27 Mayıs sonrasında ada ile ilgili ilişkisi ise çok bilinmekle beraber detaylı incelemelerde farklı bilgileri içeren bir mahiyete sahiptir. Bu nedenle makalenin son bölümü, Demokratların Yassıada’ya götürülmesine kim/ler tarafından ve ne zaman karar verildiği, neden son durak olarak bu adanın seçildiği üzerine tartışma zeminine oturtulmaya çalışılmıştır. Ayrıca makale, son durak olan Yassıada’ya partililerin ne zaman götürüldüğüne de yanıt bulmak istemiştir. Yanı sıra 27 Mayıs’ta rolüne pek dikkat çekilmeyen Deniz Kuvvetlerine de değinilmiştir. Makalenin oluşumunda Cumhurbaşkanlığı Devlet Arşivleri Başkanlığı Osmanlı Arşivi ile Cumhuriyet Arşivi belgeleri, hatıralar, tetkik eserler ve süreli yayınlardan istifade edilmiştir.
From the Naval Forces Command to the National Unity Committee: An Analysis of Yassıada in the Context of the Democrat Party
Yassıada is commonly associated with the trials of Democrat Party members following the May 27, 1960 coup. However, information about the island’s use prior to the coup is quite limited. The aim of this study is to fill that gap. Historically used as a place of exile from the Byzantine to the Ottoman periods, Yassıada was transferred to the state treasury in the early years of the Republic. The island, which had previously only been visited by fishermen, began to change after World War II. During the Democrat Party era, it was handed over to the Naval Forces Command and transformed into an educational center. In the 1950s, extensive construction projects were undertaken on the island; however, tragically, the buildings erected for educational purposes later served as prisons for their builders. Although the association between the Democrat Party members and Yassıada after May 27 is well known, a closer examination reveals lesser-known aspects. The final section of the article discusses who decided to transfer the detainees to Yassıada, when this decision was made, and why the island was chosen as the final destination. The article also seeks to determine the exact timing of the transfer of party members to the island. Additionally, it addresses the often-overlooked role of the Naval Forces on May 27. The study draws on documents from the Presidential State Archives (Ottoman and Republican Archives), memoirs, scholarly works, and periodicals.
Yassıada is one of the two islands known as the “Inauspicious Islands,” along with Sivriada, located in the Sea of Marmara. The earliest known records concerning the island date back to the Byzantine period. During the reign of Emperor Theophilos (829-842), the Platea Monastery was constructed on the island. In 860, Patriarch Ignatios commissioned the Church of the Forty Saints, beneath which underground corridors were later used as dungeons. Over time, Yassıada became a site of exile. Following the conquest of Istanbul, Yassıada came under Ottoman rule. In the late 19th century, British Ambassador Henry Bulwer purchased the island, building a castle and two harbors. He later sold the island to the Egyptian Khedive, Ismail Pasha. In the final years of the Ottoman Empire, Yassıada served as a quarantine station, and during the early Republican period, it was visited primarily by fishermen. After the Second World War, the island was transferred to the Naval Forces Command. Despite this shift, Yassıada remains widely associated with the post-May 27, 1960 coup trials. As a result, the island retained its reputation as a place of exile. However, during the 1950s - when the Democrat Party was in power - the island underwent significant changes. For Democrat Party leaders, Yassıada became closely linked with the Naval Forces Command and its educational facilities, marking a very different phase in the island’s history prior to its later use as a site of political trials.
Following the Second World War, Türkiye adopted policies aimed at strengthening its relations with the Western world and embarked on a military modernization process, particularly in terms of technological advancement. Within this framework, efforts were directed toward improving the Turkish Navy, and developments on Yassıada must be understood in this context. The establishment of the Naval Operations and Artillery Schools on the island was a direct reflection of this modernization objective. Yassıada, which was allocated to the Naval Forces Command in 1947, was initially used for the training of enlisted personnel. After key decisions made in 1949, the island became the training site for the Marine Corps in 1952. That same year, Türkiye’s accession to NATO prompted a significant expansion of military infrastructure on the island. Numerous facilities were built to accommodate the housing, feeding, recreation, and training needs of both officers and enlisted soldiers. In addition, the Artillery and Operations Schools were relocated to Yassıada in 1952, followed by the transfer of the Deck Class School from Heybeliada. As a result, the island functioned as a naval training center until 1966, and its training role continued in various forms until 1978.
During the Democrat Party period, additional facilities were constructed on the island, including Naval Operations Facilities, Torpedo and Mine Units, and a Closed Artillery Training Track. In the 1950s, Yassıada also became a frequent destination for foreign military and political delegations visiting Türkiye. Military representatives and political figures from countries such as the United States, Italy, Yugoslavia, Iraq, Lebanon, Siam (Thailand), and Sudan visited the island, which served as a showcase of Turkish naval modernization. However, following the May 27, 1960 coup, Yassıada was transformed from a symbol of modernization into a site of imprisonment for Democrat Party leaders. This period lasted approximately one and a half years. After the conclusion of the trials - held in the gymnasium of the Naval School - marine training activities resumed on the island. This study also explores the critical question of why Democrat Party members were brought to Yassıada after the coup. The article examines when and by whom this decision was made and argues that such a move could not have occurred without the knowledge of the Navy, given the island’s status as a major naval training center. For this reason, the article emphasizes the importance of considering the role of the Navy in scholarly studies of the May 27 coup.
Although naval training continued on Yassıada until 1978, the island remained closely associated with the coup throughout these years. Even during its use by Istanbul University’s Faculty of Fisheries between 1993 and 1995, Yassıada continued to evoke memories of the Democrat Party trials and the 1960 coup. In an effort to counter this negative association, the island was renamed “The Island of Democracy and Freedoms.” Nevertheless, the symbolic link to the coup persisted. Perhaps for this reason, in 2020, museums were established on the island to preserve and commemorate the events of that period.
This study examines developments on Yassıada during the Democrat Party era, particularly in the context of maritime history. It also discusses the relationship between the Democrat Party and Yassıada during the coup process. The article is based on official archival documents, memoirs, scholarly works, and periodical publications.
