Modern history has no place for coups. Coups belong to another era long past. The failed attempt of a military takeover on July 15th was a wrong page of history, closed before it opened. Erdoğan would be wise to understand the reasoning behind the attempt instead of brushing them under the carpet and unleashing his anger at those he feels are responsible-the top of the list being the US- based cleric Fethullah Gulen. Unfortunately, he has already dropped hints at once more introducing the death penalty. This punishment was abolished in 2004 upon Turkey joining the EU. Let me clarify here, I completely support the death penalty in extreme crimes, however, if the same punishment is misused t settle scores, it must be opposed.
A trained Imam, Gulen has been based in Pennsylvania since 1999. Turkish Government has accused the American Government of sheltering him, thereby smartly deflecting attention from Erdoğan’s own failings. The result of this poorly crafted piece of strategy will inevitably end in negative cascading impact on US-Turkey relationship. Considering that Turkey houses many US military bases besides being a NATO member- does not auger well for the regional stability.
Interestingly, the attempted coup took place, as Erdoğan was air bound to Istanbul from a holiday and as per a Reuters report two F-16s had his plane locked in by radar along with two F- 16s protecting him-yet refrained from firing.
Accusations notwithstanding, Erdoğan is largely responsible for the attempted coup of July 2016- unless the issues are addressed- it may lead to more violence that can only harm Turkey.
Erdoğan has been increasingly autocratic in his domestic policy- crackdowns on freedom of speech have been massive. Government has taken over TV stations; newspapers besides dealing harshly even with peaceful demonstrations against government’s increasingly authoritarian rule. I am sure; he may like to rethink his heavy-handed handling in light of the way the Turks resisted the coup- heavily enforcing the Rule of the People.
Further, he introduced religion as a compulsory subject in educational institutions, changing the secular fabric of the society. This was not all. His government put mechanisms in place that gained him space in appointment of judges at all levels within the judicial system. This basic diversion from the secular fabric did not sit well with the military which largely supports secularism vis a vis a religion dominated base.
With his one-time ally Gulen, Erdoğan had dealt with many in Armed Forces in high profile trials in 2012. Two years later, many corruption cases were dismissed that involved his son and ministers of his government.
However, it is not just Erdoğan’s increasingly autocratic stance that is to be blamed. Turkey houses roughly 2.7 million Syrian refugees. Prior to EU and Turkish agreement on refugees, Turkey acted as a transit route for the refugees for Europe.
Turkey has been victim of many terrorist attacks as a result of Daesh operating from there and other affiliates of Al- Qaeda groups. The start of offensive in the Kurdish region has further raised tensions, creating a volatile situation.
The coup was obviously ill conceived and sloppily executed. Military as an institution was not involved in the coup. Only a small segment within was so involved. Owing to geographical barriers being down in the world of communication, it was not that easy to put a lid to news coming from Turkey. CNN Turk and social media held the centre stage in protesting against the takeover. An interesting new development is that whereas in the previous military coups (1960, 1971, 1980 and 1997) all of which were successful- the police force and followed the Army. However, 2016 saw an interesting departure from the routine with police opposing the army and supporting the government. This time round, the blame has not been placed on the (secular) elements of Army but rather on the Islamic factor in form of Gulen. Maybe the biggest support came from the people themselves who did not cheer on the coup leaders and chose to show solidarity with the government.
This does not mean to say that Erdoğan is a beacon of democracy. He has not acted in a democratic spirit for a while. Lack of support for the coup masters is not to be translated as a direct support of Erdoğan. Lack of strong leadership in coup planners was an essential ingredient that helped Erdoğan.
The world leaders were right in warning Erdoğan not “to use the attempted coup as “carte blanche to do whatever he wants,” amid concerns the putsch has become a pretext for him to consolidate power.” (Telegraph UK July 18, 2016)
Turkey has been in a position to play a positive role in regional peace- Turkey has enjoyed stable relationship with her neighbors and needs to be stable. Erdoğan needs to look at the bigger picture and the bigger need of Turkey and the average Turks. Getting bogged down in vengeance can only lead to more violence. I am sure both Erdoğan and Turkey can do without it! With Kurdish rebels fighting an insurgency, Syrian war spilling over into Turkey and terrorist attacks are serious issues that the government must address.
“In the mind of the ordinary peasant the Tsar was not just a kingly ruler but a god on earth. He thought of him as a father-figure who knew all the peasants personally by name, understood their problems in all their minute details, and, if it were not for the evil boyars who surrounded him, would satisfy their demands. Hence the peasant tradition of sending direct appeals to the Tsar.” –Orlando Figes, A People’s Tragedy: The Russian Revolution: 1891-1924
The writer is a lawyer, academic and political analyst. She has authored a book, ‘A Comparative Analysis of Media and Media Laws in Pakistan.’ Her mail ID is [email protected]tweets at @yasmeen_9
Excellently covered Yasmin Behan, though I a declared pro-Erdogan supporter may have a bias, differ about some parts of your article. Most of the other coverage is pretty much true. Keep up the good work. HAROON
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