Army, government deadlock ends in Turkey

An impasse over promotions to key military posts has raised accusations of judicial manipulation.

By Alexander Christie-Miller for Southeast European Times in Istanbul – 10/08/10

General Isik Kosaner was appointed as chief of the general staff. [Getty Images]

Turkey's government exploited the judicial process to win victory in a recent spat with the military over promotions, observers have claimed.

Following a weeklong deadlock in which the two sides failed to agree on appointments to top army positions, a deal was announced on Monday (August 9th) in which a compromise candidate will take up the key role of Head of Land Forces.

General Erdal Ceylanoglu was named to the post, traditionally seen as heir apparent to the top position of Chief of Staff.

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan had objected to the army's preferred choice of General Hasan Igsiz after he was called to provide evidence in an ongoing probe into an alleged plot to undermine Erdogan's Justice and Development Party (AKP) government.

Ending the impasse paved the way for General Isik Kosaner to succeed the current Chief of Staff, General Ilker Basbug, who retires on August 30th.

Most observers agreed that the outcome marked a significant victory for the AKP, which has roots in political Islam, in its power struggle with the military. The latter sees itself as the guardian of Turkey's secular constitution and has often intervened in politics, including by ousting governments.

Veteran journalist Hasan Cemal said the events of the past week were of "historical importance". "

It could be described as a step towards the normalisation of Turkey," he told NTV News on Monday.

"In democracies, the last word -- even on military affairs -- belongs to the civilian authority."

But others claimed the government had exploited the judicial process to block the appointment of candidates of which it disapproved.

A week before the meeting, a court handling the ongoing investigation into a purported 2003 coup plot against the government -- codenamed Sledgehammer -- ordered the arrest of 102 military personnel, including 11 top officers up for promotion. Under military guidelines, no officer who is the subject to a warrant can be promoted.

On the eve of the meeting, Igsiz was summoned in relation to the plot.

Finally, on the night the deadlock was resolved, a second court rescinded the arrest warrants against the 102 officers -- a move interpreted by many observers as a deal-making compromise offered by the government.

"These are manipulations," said Yusuf Kanli, a prominent political commentator. Speaking to SETimes, he noted "Is it normal for a court to issue an arrest warrant for 102 people -- ten days before a military meeting -- and then rescind the same decision one day before the crisis is resolved?"

"To me, this is a clear violation of the independence of the judiciary and totally unacceptable," he said.

But Orhan Kemal Cengiz, a leading human rights lawyer, told SETimes that the meeting marked a victory for the rule of law.

"It sends a message to all the military officials that it's impossible, from now on; that if they are implicated in these kinds of plots there will be a price. It's very important not to appoint the accused," he said.

Cengiz said he did not believe issuing the arrest warrants against officers ahead of the meeting was politically motivated. But cancelling them probably was, he added.

"It seems to me that there was bargaining between the prime minister and the General Staff. From a political point of view, of course there was interference as a result of the pressure from the military."

"I wish this bargaining hadn't happened but there is a balance of power and this is not an ideal world," he said.

Writing in the daily Hurriyet, another commentator, Semih Idiz, remarked "No doubt the manner in which the military was put in its place in Turkey this time will be pleasing to many European officials and politicians.

"But now that this has been achieved the same officials and politicians would do well to investigate how neutral the Turkish judicial system is, and whether it too is open to political manipulation by the government."

Source: SETimes.com