Turkish Politics and the Military

Turkish Politics and the Military PDF

Author: William Hale

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2013-09-13

Total Pages: 385

ISBN-13: 1136101403

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Turkey's geographical position, between the Middle East and Europe and at the centre of the current upheavals in the USSR and the Balkans, has led to a reawakening of interest in its international standing. Meanwhile its domestic politics are of increasing interest and Turkey seems to have become a model for Liberal Democracy in Central Asia. David Hale focuses on the role of the military in contemporary politics. He author argues that the military has behaved quite differently from its counterparts in other third world states: it has acted in some degree as a guardian of the state, committed to economic and social modernisation. The book places contemporary politics in perspective by looking at the evolution of the armed forces in Turkey from the end of the eighteenth century. The author traces the role of the military through the establishment of the Republic, the military coups of 1960 and 1980, the gradual return to civilian government of the sixties and seventies, and the military disengagement from politics of 1983 onwards. Hale is interested in the army as an actor in the political drama rather than in the professional functions of soldiers, and his historical exposition reveals much about the modern scene.

Context and Circumstance

Context and Circumstance PDF

Author: Gareth Jenkins

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2013-09-05

Total Pages: 109

ISBN-13: 1136047360

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Debates about military influence on civilian government tend to be partisan and rarely pay sufficient attention to specific contexts. This paper analyses, without condemnation or justification, why and how the military exercises such influence in Turkey and whether it is likely to continue to do so. It argues that the role of the military in Turkey grows out of a specific Turkish context and is more a symptom than a cause of the country's flawed democracy. It examines the Turkish officer ethos, particularly the role of the indigenous ideology of Kemalism, and the broad, though not universal, public mandate for an interventionist role in politics. It contends that the military's influence is neither uniform nor total and that it is more effective at blocking than initiating policy; thus creating a system in which civilian authority is primary rather than supreme. It analyses the mechanisms through which the military attempts to shape policy, and demonstrates how its influence depends more on its informal authority than legislated rights or responsibilities. The paper suggests that fears of threats to national security resulting from the reforms required for EU accession have made the military more, not less, reluctant to withdraw from the political arena. It concludes that, regardless of the future of Turkey's candidacy, such a withdrawal will be a slow and gradual process, dependent more on changes in Turkish social and political culture and the perceived security environment than in the military itself.

The Turkish Deep State

The Turkish Deep State PDF

Author: Mehtap Sooyler

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2015-02-11

Total Pages: 284

ISBN-13: 1317668790

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The deep state ranks among the most critical issues in Turkish politics. This book traces its origins and offers an explanation of the emergence and trajectory of the deep state; the meaning and function of informal and authoritarian institutions in the formal security sector of a democratic regime; the involvement of the state in organized crime; armed conflict; corruption; and massive human rights violations. This book applies an innovative methodological approach to concept formation and offers a mid-range theory of deep state that sheds light on the reciprocal relationship between the state and political regimes and elaborates on the conditions for the consolidation of democracy. It traces the path-dependent emergence and trajectory of the deep state from the Ottoman Empire to the current Turkish Republic and its impact on state-society relations. It reads state formation, consolidation, and breakdown from the perspective of this most resilient phenomenon of Turkish politics. The analysis also situates recent developments regarding AKP governments, including the EU accession process, civil-military relations, coup trials, the Kurdish question, and the Gülen Movement in their context within the deep state. Moreover, this case-study offers an analytical framework for cross-regional comparative analysis of the deep states. Addressing the lacuna in academic scholarship on the deep state phenomenon in Turkey, this book is essential reading for students and scholars with an interest in democratization, politics and Middle East Studies.

Studies on Turkish Politics and Society

Studies on Turkish Politics and Society PDF

Author: Kemal H. Karpat

Publisher: BRILL

Published: 2003-12-01

Total Pages: 757

ISBN-13: 9047402715

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This book comprises a collection of articles and essays published in a variety of journals during the past decades, which seek to identify and analyze the main factors in Turkish politics. Political parties, military interventions, international relations and cultural developments are given wide coverage alongside studies on literature.

The Turkish Deep State

The Turkish Deep State PDF

Author: Mehtap Sooyler

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2015-02-11

Total Pages: 251

ISBN-13: 1317668804

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The deep state ranks among the most critical issues in Turkish politics. This book traces its origins and offers an explanation of the emergence and trajectory of the deep state; the meaning and function of informal and authoritarian institutions in the formal security sector of a democratic regime; the involvement of the state in organized crime; armed conflict; corruption; and massive human rights violations. This book applies an innovative methodological approach to concept formation and offers a mid-range theory of deep state that sheds light on the reciprocal relationship between the state and political regimes and elaborates on the conditions for the consolidation of democracy. It traces the path-dependent emergence and trajectory of the deep state from the Ottoman Empire to the current Turkish Republic and its impact on state-society relations. It reads state formation, consolidation, and breakdown from the perspective of this most resilient phenomenon of Turkish politics. The analysis also situates recent developments regarding AKP governments, including the EU accession process, civil-military relations, coup trials, the Kurdish question, and the Gülen Movement in their context within the deep state. Moreover, this case-study offers an analytical framework for cross-regional comparative analysis of the deep states. Addressing the lacuna in academic scholarship on the deep state phenomenon in Turkey, this book is essential reading for students and scholars with an interest in democratization, politics and Middle East Studies.

The Army and the Radical Left in Turkey

The Army and the Radical Left in Turkey PDF

Author: Özgür Mutlu Ulus

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing

Published: 2010-12-08

Total Pages: 366

ISBN-13: 0857738674

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In 1960s Turkey, the armed forces and the radical leftist movement provided two very dynamic, but very different, political forces. However, somewhat surprisingly, the majority of radical leftists believed in the revolutionary potential of the armed forces in overthrowing the current regime and replacing it with a quasi-socialist one. This book considers the changing perspectives of the radical leftist movement towards the political role of the military in Turkey. Using a textual analysis of different leftist groups, including the Communist Party of Turkey, Ozgur Mutlu Ulus describes the development of the leftist movement in Turkey after the 1960 coup and explains why most leftists chose to encourage a military revolution, which they hoped would bring about the triumph of socialism in Turkey.

Ruling But Not Governing

Ruling But Not Governing PDF

Author: Steven A. Cook

Publisher: JHU Press

Published: 2007-05-01

Total Pages: 342

ISBN-13: 0801896061

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Ruling But Not Governing highlights the critical role that the military plays in the stability of the Egyptian, Algerian, and, until recently, Turkish political systems. This in-depth study demonstrates that while the soldiers and materiel of Middle Eastern militaries form the obvious outer perimeter of regime protection, it is actually the less apparent, multilayered institutional legacies of military domination that play the decisive role in regime maintenance. Steven A. Cook uncovers the complex and nuanced character of the military’s interest in maintaining a facade of democracy. He explores how an authoritarian elite hijack seemingly democratic practices such as elections, multiparty politics, and a relatively freer press as part of a strategy to ensure the durability of authoritarian systems. Using Turkey’s recent reforms as a point of departure, the study also explores ways external political actors can improve the likelihood of political change in Egypt and Algeria. Ruling But Not Governing provides valuable insight into the political dynamics that perpetuate authoritarian regimes and offers novel ways to promote democratic change.

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