CONTEMPORARY EURASIA VOLUME VIII (1) ContemporaryEurasia81 | Page 30

DIMINISHING INSTITUTIONAL AUTONOMY OF TURKISH ARMED FORCES …
military by political power. 31 Earlier, the amendments to the law regarding
the Staff of the Armed Forces in order to adjust to the presidential
administration system gave broad powers to the President, in particular with
regard to personnel interference, such as extension, reduction or dismissal of
officers. According to the Turkish press, the President was granted the
authority to carry out any high-ranking officer raids and abductions in the
TAF without a decision by the YAŞ. 32 On that occasion, one of the
opposition newspapers released a publication titled. "Erdoğan's Turkey. with
full powers in the TAF", noting that granting such powers to the President is
unprecedented in the history of the Republic. 33
Current Trends and Future Prospects
The process of transition to a strong presidential system of
governance, the trends towards authoritarianism and profound value system
transformations not only deprive the army of its traditional Kemalist
character, but also introduce and impose a new image of value. The coup
attempt in 2016 gave Erdoğan a new opportunity and freed his hands to
reshape the state system and TAF. It can be argued that Erdoğan turned the
threat to an opportunity and started his own “unprecedented coup”. In this
context, the loyalty of the supreme command of the army to the current
authorities of the country gives the opportunity to lead the full and collective
transformation of the army in a smoother way. In the circumstances of such
tendencies, which is highly probable to occur, and in the context of the
current logic in Turkey, the convergence of the army and political authority
can take place. The army appears to be not only under the full political
control of the AKP, which has the power of the country in its hands, but is
also under its ideological influence.
In April 2018, the Turkish press published information regarding the
head of the Turkish General Staff, H. Akar, and Turkey's 11th President, A.
Gül's, meeting. The opposition circles qualified it as an intervention by the
army – “a military memorandum” – to Gül. 34 Opposition RPP MP B.
Yarkadaş stated that by President Erdoğan’s instructions, the aim of the visit
31
“Son dakika: Genelkurmay Başkanlığı, Milli Savunma Bakanlığına bağlandı”, Habertürk,
https://www.haberturk.com/son-dakika-genelkurmay-baskanligi-milli-savunma-bakanligina-
baglandi-2059351 (accessed July 15, 2018).
32
“TSK'daki terfi ve atamalarda düzenleme... Bir üst rütbeye atamalar Cumhurbaşkanı
tarafından yapılacak”, Hürriyet, July 10, 2018, http://www.hurriyet.com.tr/gundem/tskdaki-
terfi-ve-atamalarda-duzenleme-bir-ust-rutbeye-atamalar-cumhurbaskani-tarafindan-yapilacak-
40891755 (accessed July 10, 2018).
33
Sertaç Eş, “Erdoğan Türkiye'si: TSK’de de tam yetkili”, Cumhuriyet, July 10, 2019,
http://www.cumhuriyet.com.tr/haber/siyaset/1022056/_Erdogan_Turkiye_si TSK_de_de_ta
m_yetkili.html (accessed July 10, 2018).
34
“Vahim iddialar”, Sözcü, https://www.sozcu.com.tr/2018/gundem/vahim-iddialar-2377300/
(accessed April 30, 2018).
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