1959 Constantinopolitan general election (The Sublime Porte)

The 1959 Constantinopolitan general election was the held on September 13, 1959 in order to elect all 100 members of the Chamber of Deputies. The election resulted in a landslide victory for the incumbent National Republican, which secured the largest majority in the history of the country with 92 seats. The election saw the lowest number of parties gain representation in the Chamber, as only three parties were able to secure a seat.

The 1959 election completed the voters' shift towards ideological and trans-ethnic parties, with the Hellenic People's Party and Armenian Democratic Party failing to win any representation and dissolving themselves in the following years. On the left, in the face of major policy disagreements, the Democratic Front split into the social-democratic Social Republican Party and the anti-capitalist Left Front. This rift caused a spoiler effect, with the left losing 7 out of its 10 seats in the Chamber.

Background
The 1959 election was the first one to be held after the completion of a parliamentary term. The election was seen as a referendum on Prime Minister Mustafa Çetin's government over the previous four years, which were marked by the introduction of popular welfare programs. The popularity of the incumbent erased any doubt over a National Republican victory, as the party was expected to win around 90 to 95 seats.

The Democratic Party, which had been the main opposition force since the 1950 election, was plagued by major disagreements that eventually led to its split in two. The party's right wing (social democrats) were accused of abandoning socialist principles in order to appeal to moderate voters, leading to a grand debate over the acceptance of capitalism among the party members. In the end, the Democratic Front was dissolved in February 1959 and two new left-wing parties were formed.

The Conservative Republican Party, which was only eight years old, grew to become the principal opposition force of the country. The party had made efforts to moderate its image on social issues, abandoning its ultra-conservatism. The party's new platform included support for native-language and religious schools, ethnic communitarianism, and laisses-faire economic policies. Despite this moderate approach, the 1959 election marked the ceiling of the Conservative Republicans, as their support would more or less top out at 25% until the party's decline in the 1970s.

Sixth Chamber
The sixth Chamber of Deputies lasted for its full four-year term under the continuing premiership of Mustafa Çetin. The government continued its policies from the previous term, moderately expanding social programs while investing heavily into the country's industrial sector. By the early 1960's, the industrial policies of the previous 15 years had bared fruit as Constantinople became a major hub for manufacturing, with an advanced shipbuilding, metallurgy, and high-technology sectors. At the same time, the city-state's reputation as a financial haven was growing internationally, leading to significant development in the sector. This economic growth was supported by the government, as it took a hands-off approach to the economy.