TURKEY STRONGER AS MILITARY COMES UNDER CIVILIAN CONTROL
by LALE KEMAL
Today’s Zaman
April 11 2012
Turkey
Turkey’s military used to be the main actor when decisions were made
on foreign policy matters. This perhaps explains why Turkey has not
been able to solve its disagreements with neighbors such as Armenia
or to resolve the Cyprus dispute in more than 40 years. The strong
influence of the military on Turkish foreign policy matters had long
hijacked Turkey, preventing it from using its soft power and, hence,
diplomacy as tools to settle its disputes, mainly with its neighbors.
In parallel to the reforms that have brought the Turkish Armed Forces
(TSK), to a certain extent, under civilian democratic control, the
military’s unquestionable influence in designing foreign policy issues
has almost come to an end. This is not to say that the military’s
heavy weight in areas such as the fight against terrorism has not
continued, even if this has complicated the Turkish government’s
efforts to settle the Kurdish and terrorism problems through a greater
emphasis on non-military means.
Unlike speculations that the end of the military’s role as a main actor
in shaping foreign policy has been weakening Turkey in its handling of
critical external matters, in the words of retired Ambassador Ozden
Sanberk, Turkey has gotten stronger as its military has come under
greater civilian, democratic control.
In the meantime, civilian decision-makers are coordinating efforts
with the military over security matters related to foreign policy
issues, such as the escalation of violence in neighboring Syria.
Turkey has succeeded in emerging as a greater stabilizing force
in its region, utilizing more of its soft-power tools rather than
military strength alone. This has become possible because the civilian
government has established a good working relationship with its
military. An example is the Libyan crisis last year.
The popular uprisings in North Africa and the Middle East allowed the
Turkish military to showcase its capability of supporting government
efforts with the evacuation of 30,000 Turkish citizens in February
last year who had been stranded in Libya due to the uprising.
The evacuation involved the use of Turkish frigates as well as Lockheed
Martin F-16 fighters, Boeing KC-135R tanker aircraft and Transall
C-160 transport aircraft in what Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu
described as “a fully integrated operation.”
To this end, the TSK has been improving its international profile by
taking part in peacekeeping operations. For example, the TSK assumed
command of the Regional Command Capital of the International Security
Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan several times.
Turkish troops, however, do not engage in combat operations. Though
it seeks to improve its international profile through its military,
Turkey refrains from pursuing militarist policies when dealing with
international crises, such as the popular uprisings in the Middle East.
Similarly, despite concerns that Turkey may take a unilateral military
action in neighboring Syria, it is not expected that Ankara will get
engaged in any such adventurous policy in this country. This is despite
the fact that Syrian regime forces were engaged in a provocative action
last Tuesday when they opened fire across the border into Turkey.
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has accused Syria of infringing
on its border and said his country is considering what steps it will
take in response, including measures “we don’t want to think about.”
Erdogan’s remarks, however, should be interpreted as pressure intended
against Syria’s Assad regime to force it to abide by a peace plan
presented by international envoy Kofi Annan rather than as a signal
Ankara may intervene militarily in the country.
It is no coincidence that President Abdullah Gul, who is also the
commander in chief of the armed forces during peacetime, delivered
a speech on April 6 to the officers of the War Academies Command
in Ä°stanbul during which he emphasized the virtues of a democracy
in which the military also plays a productive role. His emphasis on
the TSK now being one of the fundamental pillars of Turkey’s foreign
policy is a clear message that the military’s role in security-related
issues cannot be denied, provided that it acts under the orders of
democratically elected governments.