Turkey - Accelerating down the Islamist Road, at the people's will

Normally civilian control of the Armed forces is something we would all be in favor of… but the madness reigns..

Geostrategy Direct

Turkey weighs overhauling its military, placing it under civilian control

ANKARA — Turkey’s Justice and Development Party has been reviewing options for the restructuring of the military.

A senior party official has drafted a plan that would merge and eliminate numerous units over the next 12 years. “The General Staff itself should carry out the reorganization,” Justice and Development Party deputy chairman Huseyin Celik said.

This marked the first time that Turkey’s ruling party recommended a major overhaul of the military. The plan was released in wake of a shakeup of the General Staff by Prime Minister Recep Erdogan in August.

“We have promised the people an advanced democracy,” Celik said. “In this context, civilian-military ties cannot resemble those in backward countries.”

The 15-point plan called for the once-powerful General Staff to take orders from the civilian Defense Ministry. Another recommendation stipulated the reform of military education and force structure.

In interviews with the Turkish media, Celik maintained that his plan did not reflect Erdogan’s agenda to make the military subordinate to the government. Celik, however, has been regarded as a close ally of the prime minister and Turkish President Abdullah Gul.

Celik has argued that Turkey’s military still reflected that of the Cold War. He said major units, including the so-called Aegean Army, were no longer required.

“If the necessary arrangements are not made, if a cell renewal is not ensured, the body will exhaust itself,” Celik said.

Another recommendation called for the reform of the Gendarmerie, a leading player in Turkey’s war against the Kurdish Workers Party. Celik said the military should be largely comprised of career soldiers that would enable the end of the draft.

Celik said he did not expect any short-term decisions regarding his plan, meant to be implemented by 2023. He said his plan marked an agenda for a public debate on the future of the military.

“If that’s accomplished, the army will shrug off the suspicions and emerge stronger,” Celik said. “I believe those issues should be discussed. Turkey has already overcome those taboos.”

There is no doubt that the express purpose of this is to PREVENT the army from exercising it’s historical role of preventing extremes, and situations dangerous to the nation.

While the natural impulse of this situation is to laud the sovereignty of the people, but there can be no doubt that Turkey aligning with Islamist position will expose the Turkish people to great dangers in the days, weeks, months and years to come.

Some large choices are going to be have to be made, both here and in the Middle East and it is my sense that in the end, just as the Turkish people have claimed their position, so will the American, and a great chasm will be seen, bridgeable only by force.