What is the role of Turkish army in political scene of Turkey?

Question

What is the role of Turkish army in political scene of Turkey?

Answer 1

Complicated.

Here's a summary from Wikipedia:

Since Mustafa Kemal Atatürk founded the modern secular Republic of Turkey in 1923, the Turkish military has perceived itself as the guardian of Kemalism, the official state ideology, even though Atatürk himself insisted on separating the military from politics. The Turkish Armed Forces still maintain an important degree of influence over Turkish politics and the decision-making process regarding issues related to Turkish national security, albeit decreased in the past decades, via the National Security Council.

The military has had a record of intervening in politics. Indeed, it assumed power for several periods in the latter half of the 20th century. It executed coup d'etats in 1960, 1971, and 1980. Most recently, it maneuvered the removal of the Islamic-oriented prime minister, Necmettin Erbakan, in 1997.

In April 27, 2007, in advance of the November 4, 2007 presidential election, and in reaction to the politics of the ruling Justice and Development Party, which has the majority of seats in the parliament, the army issued a statement of its interests. It said that the army is a party in "arguments" over secularism. Its statement closed with a veiled warning that the Turkish Armed Forces stood ready to intercede in politics, "The Turkish Armed Forces maintain their sound determination to carry out their duties stemming from laws to protect the unchangeable characteristics of the Republic of Turkey. Their loyalty to this determination is absolute."

Answer 2

thier role is to protect the secular princibles that made turkey into the modern republic you see today.

the sharia lovers who love thier religion more than country and blood ,would like turkey to turn into iran or pakistan.

the army will never allow that.

Answer 3

Let me put it this way: if the army were a political party, they would receive more votes than any party in the political history of Turkey.

That's the result of constant attack on the Republic of Turkey, either from overt or covert powers trying a hand on influence.

People may have more thrust in non-military parties once the threats of PKK, El Kaide, Hizbullah and Iraqi turmoil ends.

Answer 4

Turkish Army never involves with politics until our rattleheaded politicians cause a chaos in the country.

Turkiye is the unique Muslim country governed by a democratic and laic system. That is why in Turkiye, religionist-reactionist fascism is not as much as in Europa. Some politicians, who want to change our laic and democratic system, criticize our army and state council in order to take a better and trustable control of the government; by making our army and state council weak.

but, AKP and the supporters of it (the USA, the EU) should be shutting up while AKP is being closed... Turkiye will never change into an example Middle East country for Iran that you wanted, sorry...

Answer 5

Modern Turkey was founded by ex-officers of the late Ottoman Army, who led the Independence war between 1919-1922. They declared a republic in 1923, whose main institutions were formed, according to their political beliefs. Therefore they had (and still have) a leading role in Turkish politics, for last 85 years. Although Commander in Chief reports to a the Council of Ministers, this is not the fact. High-ranking officers tend to see their authority over any popularly elected government since 1923.

Army overthrew the popularly elected governments in 1960, 1971, and in 1980. They have also forced a popularly elected government to step down, once in the last decade, by issuing a threatening "declaration". The low-intensity warfare against Kurdish uprising in South-Eastern parts of the country is led and coordinated by the army. They use the majority of the governments central budget and they want to keep it that way. Currently, light-islamist party in power (AKP) is threatened to be closed down by High-Court Judges, who had been a historical ally with the army against politicians who wants to change old-French style secularist principles of the republic. AKP had 47% of popular vote, in last summer's elections. Turkish army thinks that they are the ultimate defenders of authocratic Kemalist principles, which were the "pillars of the Modern Turkey".