The Last of the Army's Domestic Wars

We cannot deny that our generals are well aware of the changes and transformations taking place in society, but they are equally aware that these transformations will bring the demise of their political power, something they see as abhorrent since in their mentality they are the only ones that sincerely love this country and civilians should never be trusted. Chief of General Staff Gen. İlker Başbuğ's most recent press conference showed once again that our generals have not given up their desire to deal with daily politics and to try to shape society from the top, in line with their ideological pretensions. But this time, it seems that they are wiser and, instead of targeting all civilians and non-militarists as they have always done, they intend to take on the biggest non-militarist civilian and pro-democracy force in the country: the Gülen movement.

Their last tactic in the war against the possibility of a fully functioning Copenhagen criteria-friendly democracy in the country started last August when Gen. Başbuğ was promoted to his current post. One of the first things he did was invite several previously unaccredited media organizations to the army's press conferences. These media outlets even included the pro-Islamic and pro-Justice and Development Party (AK Party) newspaper Yeni Şafak. Conspicuously missing from the army's invitation list were the country's most liberal, the bravest and the most anti-militarist Taraf daily as well as the pro-EU, pro-democracy and best-selling daily, with a daily circulation of more than 700,000, Zaman. Zaman was not invited because of its intellectual ties with the Gülen movement whereas Taraf has been accused by ultranationalists and militarist Kemalists as being owned by Gülen sympathizers despite constant denials.

With the last press conference, Başbuğ not only allowed in more media outlets, he even invited dozens of staunch enemies of militarism (not the military) and the army's illegitimate meddling in daily politics. Zaman, Taraf and their columnists were not on the list.

Başbuğ's speech completed this picture. He extended his warm hand to several of his adversaries. He, this being the first time for a general, said Turkey was established by the people of Turkey (not just Turks, but Kurds as well). He even said Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) terrorists are human beings. He also underlined that the army does not have any problem with Islam and observant Muslims. He even said that a republic without democracy is incomplete. Newspapers are now full of headlines highlighting his few pro-democracy sentences. To a Western eye, a general saying that democracy is a good thing is as simple as saying that humans need food to survive. But in Turkey, it makes the headlines. Even this alone shows how in actual fact our army is not democracy friendly. Moreover, even though Başbuğ mentioned everything under the sky, 95 percent of which is within the ambit of daily politics and not the military, he never mentioned Turkey's biggest strategic long-term project: the EU process.

Throughout his speech, Başbuğ tried everything to win the hearts and minds of liberals, democrats, anti-militarists, etc., and, as I mentioned in the beginning, narrowed his list of enemies to only one section of society: the Gülen movement. Given that the movement has become a global player and has been espoused by about 70 percent of Turkish society with its pro-democratic and pluralist stance, it is understandable that generals see it as a major threat to their anti-democratic and nontransparent political power in the country.

Başbuğ must be thinking that if he gets all democratic forces on his side, the movement will be left alone and could be dealt with. What he does not want to see is that the movement is a typical faith-based civic movement, completely in tune with the Zeitgeist, having universal ethical and democratic standards, as well as being pluralist, with an impressive appeal both nationwide and globally. Unfortunately, our generals are at the moment on the opposite side of all these trends and realities. In an "Obama world," they will not have the backing of the Pentagon, their anti-democracy fellow traveler, either. In short, the last domestic war of our generals seems a mission impossible that will cost both our army and our country very dearly; our generals are destined to lose this illegitimate and undemocratic war.

I was astonished and puzzled to hear Başbuğ asking for more autonomy for the army. Come on! Our nation has been asking for more autonomy from the military. We do not have to discover the wheel again. Why don't we agree on the EU definitions, practices and criteria? Tell us bravely, what is wrong with them?