Tri-Service

Comment: Turkish Unrest, Just What The President Wanted?

Article by Christopher Lee, Defence Analyst

A group of soldiers attempted to take over Turkey during the past 24 hours. More than 265 people have been killed. Nearly 3,000 soldiers have been arrested according to the country's prime minister.

Doctors from 'Freedom from Torture' were warning of something like this earlier this year. There has been every sign of military rebellion and every indication of the consequence.

Some have suggested that the coup was government controlled, allowing it to legitimise a new harsh line on political opponents. The glorious triumph of the President's return certainly gives an impression that the whole affair was stage managed.

The severity of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's clampdown is so predictable that some might even think the military played into his hands - or worse.

However, what few understand is the military would claim it's their legislated duty to stage a take-over. The Turkish military has the constitutional right to mount a coup in time of internal tension and has the right to hold the balance of power until such time that peace is restored. The Turkish military has a history of claiming that right.

In 1960 Prime Minister Adnan Menderes could not control the country, wanting to discard reforms that would westernise Turkey. The famous "colonels" commanded by Alparslan Turkes staged a coup d'etat, executing the Prime Minister on 17 September 1960 and ruling until the following year.

Ten years later, Turkey under Prime Minister Suleyman Demirel, was in grave economic difficulties again. A series of moves, including martial law under a civilian-military Cabinet and eleven different Prime Ministers, failed to restore economic dignity to Turkey, nor curb the corruption of the military. Thousands died.

In 1980 the military took over again with no great success other than increased corruption on their part. In 1997, through a threat from the colonels, the Islamic Welfare Party-controlled government (of which the now President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan was a member) was shut down.

Just three years ago 300 members of the military were accused of plotting to remove Erdogan. But there's another aspect to all of this.

Just as the Shah of Iran in 1979 feared the mysterious figure of the exiled Grand Ayatollah - and as it turned out, rightly so - President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has long feared the American self-exiled cleric, Fethullah Gulen.

The Turkish president believes Gulen encourages unrest and even rebellion... Gulen says this is not the case. But the Iranian example is too good and too recent not to be paranoid about.

Whatever the conspiracies, it is now certain that the Turkish leader will run a massive security sweep and with it may come a regime of torture and political terror.

It might be remembered that Turkey is a NATO member. The practise of political and social government in that country is by and large totally unacceptable within the Alliance.

Moreover, because of the regional refugee crisis, many European states have suggested that Turkey's demand to be admitted as a member of the EU could be speeded up.

Watch what happens after this weekend's fiasco.

The Turkish government response to the current crisis will only advance the case to prohibit even Candidate EU membership, at least under its present leadership and way of government.