Posted on 07/15/2016 5:55:39 PM PDT by OneVike
Analysts generally consider military influence in politics and society to be a critical impediment to the development of democratic political and civil rights and freedoms. According to Freedom House, for example, greater military involvement in government politics decreases civil liberties and political rights in any given country; this infringes on a government's ability to develop democracy.
Turkey may be an exception. The military has deep roots in society, and its influence predates the founding of the republic. But rather than hinder democratization, Turkey's military remains an important component in the checks and balances that protect Turkish democracy. Herein lies an irony: European officials have made diminishment of military influence a key reform in Turkey's European Union accession process. This may be a noble goal, but by insisting on dismantling the military role in Turkish society without advancing a new mechanism to guarantee the constitution, well-meaning reformers may actually undercut the stability of Turkey as a democracy.
From Turkey's founding, the military assumed responsibility for guaranteeing the republic's constitution. Article 35 of the Turkish Armed Service Internal Service Code of 1961 declared that the "duty of the armed forces is to protect and safeguard Turkish territory and the Turkish Republic as stipulated by the constitution."[2] Indeed, such an interpretation had its roots in the constitution. Turkey's first constitution was written in 1921, and since the formal proclamation of the republic, the country has had three additional constitutions—in 1924, 1961, and 1982. Until the constitutional amendments of 2001, each placed responsibility in the military's hands for the protection of the Turkish state from both external and internal challenges. The constitution of 1982, for example, prohibited contestation or constitutional review of the laws or decrees passed by the military when the republic was under its rule from 1980 until 1983. This effectively provided the military with a legal exit guarantee following their coup in 1980.[3] Specifically, article 15 stated, "No allegation of unconstitutionality can be made in respect of laws, law-amending ordinances and acts and decisions taken in accordance with the law numbered 2324 on the law on the constitutional order."[4]
The Turkish military has used this sense of constitutional authorization to justify interference in the political realm, on some occasions. It seized power in 1960 and 1980 when polarization and economic instability paralyzed the country's political system, and it also forced the resignation of governments in 1971 and 1997. While the Turkish constitution certainly does not endorse coups, Turkish popular distrust of politicians has generally led the public to support military action.
(Excerpt) Continue reading, Middle East Forum
This of course directly answers the false narrative in the west but now again by Obama (as occurred in Egypt thankfully contrary to Obama’s Islamic Brotherhood) that any military coup is bad. Thus his support of Erdogan the Islamist.
Exactly.
Says it all.
I thought it might be useful to point out that, according to Stratfor, the Turkish military nowadays is not monolithic in its support for a secular approach to government. The article above takes a historical view but does not recognize changes that have occurred recently in the Turkish military.
The Turkish military right now is split between an Islamist faction and a more traditional secular faction. It is the Islamist faction that is leading the coup (due to a power struggle between Erdogan and another Islamist sect). The more secular faction is opposing the coup, not because they like Erdogan, but because they don’t like the idea of a coup. Also, the secular opposition political party is opposing the coup.
Because of these splits, particularly the split within the military, there is a good chance that the coup will not be successful. You can read more about this on the Stratfor webpage (Stratfor.com).
“Your got very pretty eyes, Mr. President!”
Not after Erdogan purges the military.
Say hello to the “Islamic Republic of Turkey”.
Amen. Hopefully the beginning.
Erdogan is in a struggle with his former ally Gulen...
Gulen just happens to be a Hillary Clinton campaign bundler and Clinton Foundation donor as well IIRC...who has a record of sending congresscritters of both parties on junkets to the region.
Gulen is based in the town of Saylorsburg in the Pocono Mtns of Pennsylvania...
and there seems to be a connection between him and the BLM crowd but I haven’t pinned that down yet.
Please stay on the trace.
If you are going to kill the king you better kill the king. Turkey just went full Islam. Not good.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.