Turkish Generals Threaten Islamic Fundamentalists

StrategyPage.com ^ | 8/28/2002 | Austin Bay

[FreedomPoster]

THE BALKANS: Turkish Generals Threaten Islamic Fundamentalists

August 28, 2002; Pay attention to this, because they mean it. The Turkish Army issued a statement vowing to keep true to its Kemalist roots. The Turkish Army intends to fight Islamism. It will also continue to oppose Kurdish separatism. An AFP report included this quote from retiring Chief of Staff General Huseyin Kivrikoglu: "Everybody must know that the Turkish armed forces will not tolerate the use of the opportunities of democracy by the enemies of the system as a means to dynamite the basic principles of our state...Even though significant progress has been achieved in this field, the separatist and reactionary threat is potentially continuing. All measures should be taken against the continuation of the separatist and reactionary threats under the masks of politicization." Note the vocabulary. The Turkish military prefers to refer to Islamism as “reactionary,” which it is. Is this a “coup threat” if an Islamist party were to take power in Ankara (even in a democratic election) and begin to dismantle Turkey’s secular institutions? Yes, it most certainly is. (Austin Bay)

[FreedomPoster]

I came across this item via Jerry Pournelle's web page. Jerry's comment was:

Periodically there is an attempt to restore Islamic government in Turkey. Periodically the Army comes out of barracks and hangs those who try it. Then it goes back to barracks: a form of military rule unlike any I know of in history, where the army rules but does not reign; and doesn't govern either.

Go Turks!

[weikel]

Wohoo

[weikel]

Told you dude.

[weikel]

Wouldn't it be great if our army did this to Democrats and RINOs.

[GaryMontana]

Thank God for the Turks!

To bad the rest of the Islamic world is not as wise as the Turks.

[MissAmericanPie]

Turks are so scary. Good, but scary, like we use to be.

[FreedomPoster]

BTW, I'm not sure why this is headlined "The Balkans" in the source. I sure don't consider Turkey as being in The Balkans. Am I wrong?

[FreedomPoster]

He doesn't look like a man who would take any guff. He more than proved his looks.

[Consort]

Commander-in-Chief of
Turkish Armed Forces

[Tailback]

There's a article from back in early July that covered this topic. I predicted in post 7 (I think) that the Turkish Army would take over before letting a Islamic fundamentalist party takeover. Don't forget, there's a lot of Iranians and Saudis living in Turkey to escape the strict Islamic rules against drinking alcohol and (especially during Ramadan) fasting.

[Tailback]

oops, forgot the link.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/712654/posts

[Consort]

[Tailback]

Good question, I would assume that the European section of Turkey (West of the Bosphorous) which includes Istanbul is considered part of the Balkans.

[Arkinsaw]

This is precisely why Turkey needs to think very carefully before attempting to join the EU. The EU does not like this military interference with "human rights" and instead seems to think that if the Islamists take over and institute a theological dictatorship that this is a "human right".

[Aric2000]

This is a shot across the bow of the Turkish Islamists, basically telling them, get out of line and you die, and the funny thing is, that they will get out of line. The Turkish military will move in, take them out, then move back out and let the Turkish people try again.

It's a wonderful failsafe built into the system, I wish sometimes that we had that failsafe built into our constitution.

[Aric2000]

You got that right on the button, if Turkey joins the EU, we might as well write them off. It's sad, but it's true.

I wish Turkey would get over that little deathwish.(the EU)

[VOA]

ping...in case you're interested...

[John H K]

Wouldn't it be great if our army did this to Democrats and RINOs.

The main reason the US isn't a hellhole like the entire rest of the world is that the Army stays out of politics. And this can be traced to one man...George Washington. Even more so than winning the Revolutionary War...his greatest achievement was setting the tone for the peace afterwards.