It's Time for a Smart Military
The liberal Taraf daily published an alleged military document that contains plans for a smear campaign against the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) and the Gülen movement.
Since Friday, neither Chief of General Staff Gen. İlker Başbuğ nor Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has been able to provide convincing arguments to assure the public that the document is fake and that there is no such group within the military.
One of the reasons why the authorities could not come up with such an argument is because pervious documents, published by various media outlets, indicate that the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) constantly prepares similar documents. Furthermore, the document, published by the Taraf daily, appears to be real because it has been signed by a colonel who works in a military unit that makes such plans. The third reason why it is likely that the plan is not a fabricated document is that such plans are usually signed by colonels in the military.
The counter argument, on the other hand, is premised on the idea that the military cannot be so stupid as to prepare such documents, which eventually harm its credibility in the eyes of the public.
This argument holds no water because our military has been unable to adapt itself to changing circumstances and still reacts based on its traditional stance. When we scrutinize the TSK's stance, we see three dominant characteristic that create problems for the military.
Courage vs. intelligence
The Turkish military culture is constructed on the basis of "courage." No matter what the occasion is, the main emphasis is on why a soldier should be courageous. True, being a soldier and fighting in war requires some level of "bravery," with most military personnel around the world being taught to be courageous. However, the TSK considers itself the protector of the Turkish state structure, so the "bravery" taught to be used in war conditions is also used in Ankara to develop plans to "protect" the foundations of the state structure. While bravery is an effective tool in war zones, it can make a soldier into a fool in peace zones, especially if a soldier deals with politics.
The recently released document, if authentic, is a good example of this argument, indicating how the TSK's bravery is misused by "brave" soldiers to turn their institutions into foolish ones in the eyes of the people.
Therefore, what the TSK needs to do is to reorganize its training materials to teach how to be a smart soldier and how to subdue bravery in peace zones, where a smart soldier is much more valuable than a brave soldier. When we look at the Ergenekon criminal network, we see many "brave" soldiers who once served this country. However, whenever they get involved in politics, their "courage" misleads them to prison.
Paranoia vs. wisdom
Recent events and my observations when I was in contact with military officers indicate that paranoia in the TSK is starting to dominate the organizational culture. For instance, many military officers wonder whether there are centers in US institutions that aim to diminish the TSK's positive image in Turkey. A prosecutor asked me whether world-famous political scientist John Esposito and his center at Georgetown University have been involved in any anti-TSK activities in Washington, D.C. Other than reading his works on Islam, the Middle East and politics, I have not met with Professor Esposito; however, I do not think Esposito even cares about the TSK. There is no such system or culture at US universities, and military officers have no idea about the US university system. And because of the paranoia present in this institution, its officers have a tendency to believe such conspiracy theories.
Similarly, because of the paranoia, many military officers have lost their sight, unable to see that Turkish society has changed. The information age has produced a new generation which questions and seeks transparent institutions and one that is actively involved in ensuring transparency, including informing the media about wrongdoings within institutions. Instead of recognizing these changes, the paranoid outlook has created a tendency among officers who search for groups, networks or centers that constantly think about and produce plans and policies to harm the Turkish military. There is no such group and no such activity targeting the TSK; however, because the society has changed and people, within or without the security establishment, have started questioning the policies of the institutions, the media has started to publish documents that would otherwise be impossible to access and publish.
It is therefore time for the TSK to recognize that there is no group or center anywhere in the world that is targeting the TSK. It is the paranoid outlook of some intellectuals who have close relations with the military and some officers who create an environment that leads people to believe conspiracy theories. Worst, though, is that some intellectuals who have access to and advise high-ranking military officers knowingly promote such a paranoid outlook toward moderate Muslim networks and the AK Party government just because of their personal interests.
I believe it is time for the military leaders to find a way to remove this paranoid outlook and restore the military culture that should maintain some level of caution toward political developments around the world. It should not, however, turn into a paranoid perspective.
Integration vs. isolation
One of the reasons why the military's culture produces paranoid outlooks is because officers in the military have been living isolated lives, with very limited contact with the outside world. While people in the world benefit from integration and enjoy being in contact with people in the rest of the world, military officers -- because of their isolated lives -- remain unable to understand what is happening in the world. For instance, when a Turkish academic establishes a connection with academics in the US who are working on Turkey, it is very likely that the academic in Turkey will at the very least be labeled a "suspicious person."
Under such circumstances, those who live an isolated lifestyle accuse those who have an integrated life of being involved in "suspicious" activities.
It is time for military leaders to open their isolated world to the rest of the world and encourage TSK members to establish contact with the rest of the world without any hesitation about the intention of the people around the world.
All in all, it is time for a smart military.
Dr. Emre Uslu is an analyst working with The Jamestown Foundation, a Washington-based think tank.
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