AVETIK HARUTYUNYAN
neighbors like Greece , Syria , Iraq and others during the 2000s . As a result , since the participation of the military in foreign affairs was based on the security component of foreign policy , changing political environment and security discourse gradually led to the limiting of the role of the military in political life and foreign policy making in Turkey . This process was facilitated by the “ Ergenekon ” and “ Sledgehammer ” cases ( started respectively in 2007 and 2010 ), which further contributed to the establishment of civilian control over the military .
The composition of the NSC was further changed by the constitutional amendments of 2017 . For example , the General Commander of Gendarmerie was removed from the NSC . 69 In 2018 , the presidential decree “ On the organization of the General Secretariat of the National Security Council and its responsibilities ” was adopted to secure the transition from a parliamentary system of government to a presidential one . By this decree , the General Secretariat of the NSC was transferred to the Presidential Office , and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Strategic Analysis was formed within the General Secretariat . In line with other duties , the department was responsible for making research and analysis on the topics in the sphere of responsibilities of the General Secretariat and provide suggestions regarding issues of national security to the relevant state entities . 70 These changes were meant to further emphasize the control of the president over the NSC .
The Security and Foreign Policy Council and the rising role of the Presidency
After the constitutional changes of 2017 , a new body , the Security and Foreign Policy Council , was formed within the Presidency by the decree of the President on the “ Organization of the Presidency ” of 2018 . According to this decree , the members of the Council were to be appointed by the President who was the Chair of the Council and could designate one of the members of the Council as his deputy . 71 The main responsibility of the Council was to develop policy suggestions on the following issues and present them to the president : Turkish foreign policy , strengthening state regional policy , resolving regional issues ,
69 Türkiye Cumhuriyeti Anayasasinda Değişiklik , No . 6771 / 2017 , article 16 . 70 Millî Güvenlik Kurulu Genel Sekreterliğinin Teşkilat ve Görevleri Hakkında
Cumhurbaşkanlığı Kararnamesi , Kararname : 6 , Resmî Gazete : 15.07.2018 , Sayı : 30479 , articles 1 and 13 , https :// www . resmigazete . gov . tr / eskiler / 2018 / 07 / 20180715-3 . pdf . 71 Cumhurbaşkanlığı Teşkilatı Hakkında , No . 1 / 2018 , article 21 .
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