Turkeys' Generals refused to attend inauguration of new President

[GAP]

Turkey's generals snub prez
Failing to attend inauguration of commander-in-chief a shocking act of insubordination
By ERIC MARGOLIS September 2, 2007
Article Link

The scowling generals commanding Turkey's 515,000-man armed forces -- NATO's second largest -- staged a shocking act of insubordination and anti-democratic behaviour last week.

They refused to attend the inauguration of their nation's just elected president, and new commander-in-chief, former foreign minister Abdullah Gul of the moderate Islamist AK Party.

Just before the widely admired Gul was sworn in, Chief of Staff Gen. Yasar Buyukanit, thundered "centres of evil" threatened secularism in Turkey -- a brazen warning the generals might overthrow the government for the fifth time since 1960.

If there were ever a moment for the U.S. and NATO to show support for Turkey's new democratic government and tell the generals to go back to their barracks and polish their medals, it was this week.

But aside from a few peeps of tepid support from mid-level western officials for Turkey's new president, the U.S. and NATO remained silent.

The generals had good reason to be upset.

An oligarchy made up of the military, its "secularist" allies, and a shadowy "deep government" of spooks has ruled Turkey for the last 84 years behind a facade of parliamentary government.

WESTERNIZED MINORITY

This westernized minority includes officers, industrialists, judges, academics, media owners, bureaucrats, and an urban, anti-Islamic upper class.

 

[tomahawk6]

Typical MSM article. What a leftist like Margolis see's as insubordination is in actuality a sign by the Army that they do not support the islamists and is a warning to them. The Army has long been the guardian of Turkey's secular democracy. While Margolis may want to support an islamist regime in Turkey, I certainly dont want to see another Iranian style "democracy" arise in Turkey. If matters take a turn for the worse the Army will once again assert itself.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6602775.stm

The problem that emerged in the presidential election process is focused on arguments over secularism. Turkish Armed Forces are concerned about the recent situation. It should not be forgotten that the Turkish Armed Forces are a party in those arguments, and absolute defender of secularism. Also, the Turkish Armed Forces is definitely opposed to those arguments and negative comments. It will display its attitude and action openly and clearly whenever it is necessary.

 

[Cdn Blackshirt]

Don't worry.  When the Islamists take over after having filled the military with their loyalists and Turkey becomes a serious problem, Margolis will find a way to blame to the United States as he always does.

Every time he gets on TV and proclaims himself an expert, I start laughing.  It's only sad that the channels who put him on don't recognize what a fraud the guy is.


Matthew.  :

 

[LakeSup]

This isn't being covered by the MSM .....I searched and couldn't find anything on this other than the Margolis article....the BBC link was Apr 28 and not concerning this.  This is a fairly critical piece of info , if true, as the Turks/Kurds/PPK/Israel/US nexus is pretty congruent these days.  If this info is true, shame on the MSM for not covering.  Regardless of your politics, it is important to get as much info as possible..... and this is a concern.

 

[DBA]

The AK hasn't yet pushed hard for an Islamist Turkey because of opposition to it by the military not out of any desire of it's own for "avoiding imposing any religious dogmas".

"Islamist" have been so demonized by Washington it cannot deal with even moderate Muslims, like AK, which in many ways resembles Europe's Christian Democrats.

Islamist means working for the abrogration of all other forms of law besides Islamic law and expanding such laws to all of the world. It very much deserves to be demonized.

 

[KevinB]

One point - does anyone in a democracy really think the Army should be at an inauguration?

Margolis is an idiot plain and simple - he's a reporter with a very left vision, he's not an expert no matter how hard he claims to be. 

 

[GAP]

Turkey's edgy advance - EDITORIAL
TheStar.com September 02, 2007
Article Link

In Turkey, democracy has spoken and the country's jumpy generals should respect the message instead of trying to shout it down.

After a referendum-style election in which Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's Islamist-rooted Justice and Development party won a major victory, Parliament has just elected secular Turkey's first modern head of state with an Islamist political background.

President Abdullah Gul, sworn in Tuesday, is an urbane, moderate figure. As Erdogan's foreign minister he pressed Turkey's entry to the European Union and championed democratic reforms and civil rights. The regime has also delivered solid growth and has invested in better health, welfare and housing. Like millions of Turks, Gul is also a devout Muslim whose wife wears a head scarf.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper's government should regard Gul as a credible choice for president in a mostly Muslim nation of 75 million that is an ally in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. The Americans have rightly welcomed "this exercise in Turkish democracy." So have the Europeans. As the newspaper Milliyet put it, this brings the country "one step closer to political maturity."

If successful, Gul's presidency will confirm that modern Muslim democrats can uphold political pluralism, individual rights and the rule of secular law. That offers the Muslim world a healthier role model than radical Islam, Islamic caliphates and imposed religious law.

How Turkey's NATO partners react matters, because Turkey's military is treating Gul not as their commander-in-chief so much as the enemy. The military regard themselves the guardians of Kemal Ataturk's secular legacy, which strictly separates mosque and state to the point of banning head scarves in government and schools.
More on link

 

[Greymatters]

If successful, Gul's presidency will confirm that modern Muslim democrats can uphold political pluralism, individual rights and the rule of secular law. That offers the Muslim world a healthier role model than radical Islam, Islamic caliphates and imposed religious law.

Just beacuse the new leader is publicly doing these things doesnt mean every Turkish citizen believes the same things.  Many of the Turkish people are just as religious and fanatic as any other Islamic.  He's basically making a comparison equivalent to stating that all Canadians are like Harper and all Americans are like Bush.  What nonsense.