Internal disintegration, separatism, Islamism, regional instability. This is what the Turkish Ministry of Defense sees when it looks out its window, the same that Atatürk saw in the 1920s and that the Ottoman Sultans saw for centuries before him. For the Turks, it seemed that everything and nothing changed after World War I and with recurring military coups since the republic was founded, it would seem the civilian government isn’t always able to fend off Turkey’s historic enemies.
Founded by Turkish soldiers in the wake of the Ottoman empire’s defeat in WWI, the Turkish Republic has always had militaristic tendancies. Many are aware of Turkey’s past coups in 1960, 1971, 1980 and 1997. Yet, they are a bit unlike others we’ve seen around the world. The role of the Turkish military has been spelled out as “the sole protector” of Turkish democracy and also of the “principles of Ataturk.” With that in mind, the Turkish National Security Council plays a different role in Turkish politics than our NSC. Comprised of the Chief of Staff and the four Commanders of the Turkish Armed Forces, it not only develops national security policy but also acts as a semi-official watchdog over the civilian government. Turkish coups, one of Turke’s rather unique characteristics, are usually short and return power to a civilian government. The military’s role is essentially to protect the state both from external and internal enemies, not to run the state.
The hawkish new chief of the General Staff, Gen. Yasar Buyukanit, echoes that theme. In a speech at the opening of the academic year at the Turkish War Academy on Oct. 2, he asked: “Are there not people in Turkey saying that secularism should be redefined? Aren’t those people occupying the highest seats of the state? Isn’t the ideology of Ataturk under attack?” Buyukanit went on to declare that an affirmative answer to any of these questions would confirm that Turkey is threatened with “Islamist fundamentalism.”
Given that the last coup was 9 years ago, history seems to show that as of 1960, a coup has taken place every 12 years or so. With Iraq in chaos, Iran increasingly belligerent and Islamic terrorism threatening not only the West, but Turkey as well, the military will be unlikely to cut politicians much slack as the stakes are too high. And while nobody expects and Islamic revolution like what occured in Iran, an increasingly Islamic Turkey would be expected to turn away from the EU, and therefore the West, and become more problematic than helpful in Mideast relations. The 1980 coup which unseated Adnan Menderes had similar results with post-coup Turkey returning to its Western orientation.
Hybrid Regimes
With Turkey’s EU membership seriously in danger and Islamism threatening the world, conditions may be ripe for a coup, but only time will tell. Ironically, although both the US and EU would condemn any such action (as they have done in the past). The military has done a decent (though of course not mistake-free) job of protecting Atatürk’s legacy and the principles of secular democracy. A system unfathomable to Westerners, however, works rather well in Turkey and may be the best example of a hybrid regime for the developing world. However, this naturally comes with many assumptions.
In my next post, I’ll go into further detail about the threats facing Turkey, its development, and how its unique form of hybrid government has made it the most successful and sustainable in the Muslim world.
“The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.” Obviously Jefferson wasn’t imagining that the revolution would come from the military but from “the People.” It would be interesting to look at the social make-up of Turkey’s armed forces and how they’re organized, whether more responsibility is given to those of lower social classes, etc., and then compare that to most Arab armies where those born rich command the intentionally disempowered cannon fodder.
Be on note: I am no longer “What say me” … I am ” Harvard man”… and will stay that way to avoid sock-puppeting accusations.
I am a Harvard Man.
Let me be pithy as I can: As you know Robert Kaplan considered the global non-West akin to the American Indians. The white man’s burden is to contain and bring the noble savage into civilization with — paternalistic care — and if need be “tough love” to keep the children in line. Thus, we can call Pinochet a lesser evil — to mitigate our conscience… and call Turkey’s inbuilt tyranny “a rather well working” — hybrid regime — necessary for third-world savages.
Now, the reason Turkey must forever remain a hybrid regime is because traditional American democracy organically grows ONLY from a Judeo-Christian guilt-based society… where morality remains inspired by faith in an exclusive sin-expunging deity called Jesus Christ –a faith inspiring morality to rise above minimum requirements of man-made law. Such a society can — when the Christian ethos is dominant — function without a smiley-faced police state. Not, so for America these days.
Not so also, for Turkey. Traditional democracy CANNOT grow naturally in an Asian shame-based culture. It morphs naturally into a groupthink-based false Democracy such as we witness in South Korea and Japan. It doesn’t matter if Asianized Turks are secular or Islamic: pagan-based systems of social control are required to keep non-Western savages blithly wearing watches and commuting to their corporate cubicle at work. Thus, a Turkish National Security Agency is REQUIRED to function when Christianity is insufficient in the populace– similar to our FEMA’s function in the American police state — now arising before our very eyes.
Thus,
Thomas Aquinas coined the term “The Third Way” for this paganized system of community control and national governance — a system now being installed in the Middle East.
Today this “Third Way” is called Communitarianism in scholastic circles, and it is the most powerful political, legal and justice theory in the world. Hidden from the average person, it’s rarely mentioned by the mainstream press. And like an elephant in the living room … never mentioned on this blog. Communitarianism is a combination of the ideals of the farthest right and the farthest left (Centrist), the philosophy being fully exportable under the misrepresenting name — Freedom and Democracy — and is the very basis for the reinvented governments of Afghanistan and Iraq.
Turkey likewise has been encouraged to grow into a “sustainable” communitarian government, and is favorably looked upon as a — hybrid regime– since communitarians encourage blurring and confusing the lines between all political ideologies. Coups are not a problem. If coup’s don’t naturally arise … then, they will be manufactured. The reason is there must be conflict and confusion to create consensus in a new (and constantly evolving) communitarian government that is designed to be a sub-system for the comprehensive global government.
Why does this blog lie by omission … about its Communitarian affinity? Hey, I am not psychic.
I am just a Harvard Man.
“I am a Harvard Man.”
I’m unimpressed. Don’t take this personally, but do we need to flaunt our education or backgrounds in this forum? Enough intellectually void characters and simpletons with elitist backgrounds are Harvard alumni. In fact, any affiliation with any university can be a dubious distinction. This is not to say your are not well-spoken and interesting, however much I disagree with what you have to say. Also, if the “Harvard Man’ comments were some type of literary allusion that went over my head – I apologize.
Perhaps this blog does not lie by omission, but rather that people here do not buy into that questionable ideology. Or perhaps they do not feel the need to label themselves, especially with one of such dubious credibility. Reminds me of all this nonsense about “neoconservatives” or even conservative/liberal in the mainstream American connotation. Pardon my language, but labels mean fuck all. Could we be more focused on concepts, ideas and theories as means to achieving foreign policy and less concerned about defining our worldviews in such absolutist terms.
As for your post, good stuff Chirol. There seems to be a tendency – and I don’t mean among the shallow chattering classes in the media who harp on “realism” these days – among respectable foreign policy scholars these days to appreciate the complex relationship between societies and governments and the necessity for adapatibility in governance. This doesn’t have to be realpolitik in the traditional sense. We don’t need Pinochets, but perhaps reasonably authoritarian systems can be effective in laying foundations for more representative governments or in the unique case of Turkey you mention above.
Hey Rommel, are you really the great miiltary tactician? Just a joke. Anyways, I guess if Harvard man is from Harvard, he seems smart enough. There are a lot of people these days talking about the Communitarian movement. I was alerted to it last year and find it interesting to see someone else calling the alarm. It’s not a conspiracy theory from what I can tell, but fact. I just checked out the You Tube video Harvard Man suggested viewing about the North American union being secretly foisted on Americans by our fearless defender of the constitution George Bush. Now I see why Bush only gives word service about defending American borders. He is selling us out to the Communitarian system designed to destroy our freedoms. It’s funny, but most people except a Harvard man seems concerned. I advise you to take a look before you dismiss Harvard Man. Take a look, I found it VERY interesting.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H65f3q_Lm9U
Let me say that again correctly: “It’s funny, but most people except Harvard Man seem UNCONCERNED about the Communitarian take-over.
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Jason,
Point taken, but perhaps I need to clarify. I never said I thought he WASN’T a Harvard man, in fact I never doubted it. My point was that I don’t see why he needed to use that as a qualifier to make his comments. At least two times (I didn’t mean his username, btw). What Harvard Man says is intriguing enough, and most will take you seriously whatever your background. Hope that makes more sense, and apologies to Harvard Man for my possibly being rude.
Harvard Man, please go back to school. South Korea is a democracy in every sense of the word even more so than the US in some not so insignificant ways.
Pavlov, Democracy in South Korea looks like the World Wrestling Championships. Did you see the last time they tried to impeach their president? Clawing, scratching, arms locks around each others necks in the National Assembly. Insane asylum run by the inmates. Pavlov, South Korea is a failed state.
Jason you amuse me. “Democracy, Government exercised either directly by the people or through elected representatives….” Korea is a democracy by definition and fact. The worlds 11th economic power bodes ill for 170 or so economies that are below Korea, are they all failed states also?
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Since when is a democracy a failed state when scuffles break out in parliment? Your definition is a bit narrow and I reject it for lack of substantive objections.
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SK unlike the US has numerous political parties that each have a good chance of clinching the next election which shows a viable and dynamic democratic process. SK has elected the previous four (including Roh) presidents with no to minimal objections from international observer teams.
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That SK needs some procedural reforms to prevent the fights that break out is not in doubt, but in this they are not alone. I have seen similar fights in Taiwan, Russia, Mexico and even some western ones in recent years, or generally just bad behavior on the part of elected officials. None of which discounts a democratic status or confer failed state status. The people are represented by elected officials of their choosing. Or is the US not a democracy due to Mckinney punching out a police officer, or another representative having 80,000 in cash bribes hidden in his freezer? Not at all. These are red herring unrelated criminal acts.
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Perhaps your definition of failed state is a bit too narrow.
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Pavlov, I dunno. In my opinion the fights breaking out represents the general attitude of Koreans that doesn’t care democracy is meant to eliminate the physicality in politics. They are all caught up in this groupthink mentality, so its not just aberrant individuals. I think there has to be a commitment to a certain level of morality before one can have a true democracy. If not, there is not a democracy in spirit. Just a name. My two cents worth.
Whatever you may think of SK denocracy, it is entertaining to the outsider.
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