CONTEMPORARY EURASIA VOLUME VIII (1) ContemporaryEurasia81 | Page 26

DIMINISHING INSTITUTIONAL AUTONOMY OF TURKISH ARMED FORCES …
Additionally, the military education system was essentially reorganized,
removing it from the General Staff's control to the NDM and the Ministry of
Education and Science. 17
One of the key components and pillars of the army's institutional
autonomy was the self-contained military education system, which was of
crucial importance for the formation and maintenance of the collective
identity and value of the TAF. Military education was exclusively under
military jurisdiction and ideological control. 18 On the other hand, the
transformation of the institutional identity of the army contributes to the
new phenomena that were previously under strict supervision and control,
which were considered threats to the state, such as the reversal of the ban
on religious headscarves in the army, the possibility of Imam-Hatip
school graduates being promoted to the rank of officer, the permission for
mass prayers in military units and more. 19 The authorities are continuing
to take steps to eliminate the former taboos in the army, as the solid
Kemalist value system undergoes revision. The Islamic-conservatism
(irtica), which used to be a threat and a "red line" for the TAF, penetrates
into the army with different manifestations. Some analysts and secular
circles began to speak out regarding the threat of Islamization of the
army. While discussing the consequences of the July 15 coup attempt in
the military, S. Waldman and E. Caliskan argue that “the opportunity of
Imam-Hatip graduates higher up in the military would have significant
repercussions for the identity of the armed services, challenging their
traditional self-perceived role as staunchly secular bastions of the Turkish
state”. 20
In regards to the institutional autonomy of the TAF, the problem of
socio-economic self-sufficiency is also very important. This is ensured by
the Army Assistance Organization (OYAK - Ordu Yardımlaşma Kurumu). It
is an important system that offers solutions to the social problems of around
300,000 military personnel, which also has considerable financial and
economic resources in the country's economic and industrial life. OYAK
employs around eight dozen different companies and businesses, with more
than 30,000 employees. As of 2015, OYAK's total economic capital is
estimated at about $20 billion, with annual exports of more than
17
“Kapatılan Harp Okulları ile ilgili sürpriz gelişme!”, InternetHaber, November 2, 2016,
http://www.internethaber.com/kapatilan-harp-okullari-ile-ilgili-surpriz-gelisme-
1728028h.htm (accessed November 7, 2016).
18
Muge Aknur, “Civil-Military Relations During the AK Party Era. Major Developments and
Challenges”, Insight Turkey, Vol. 15, no. 4, (2013): 145.
19
“TSK’da artık turban serbest”, Oda TV, November 11, 2016, http://odatv.com/tskda-artik-
turban-serbest-1111161200.html (accessed November 11, 2016), “Bakan Fikri Işık: İmam
hatipliler de TSK'ye girecek”, Birgün, http://www.birgun.net/haber-detay/bakan-fikri-isik-
imam-hatipliler-de-tsk-ye-girecek-122146.html (accessed August 1, 2016).
20
Simon Waldman and Emre Caliskan, “The New Turkey and its Discontents”, (New-York:
Oxford University Press, 2017), 47.
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