However, DP which was a champion of democracy during the opposition years, began to follow a more centralized policy in the party during its government years.
During the provincial party congress held in Adana (then known as Seyhan) the party center supported a candidate against a popular candidate of the Adana partisans.
The leader of the party was Remzi Oğuz Arık an MP and a professor of archaeology.
On 3 April 1954 Arık died on an airplane crash while flying from Adana to Ankara.
This event was just before the 1954 Turkish general election and the party couldn't gain a seat in the parliament.