The way injustices and pains in the past destroyed democracy, which is just starting to take root, have been discussed at length. The May 27 coup, which made a mark on the last 50 years of Turkish history and served as the most important breakthrough in our recent history, has been scrutinized from the perspective of what its effects were on the civilian world. But its effects on the military are rarely, if at all, discussed. The May 27 coup was actually a coup against the military.The coup brought with it a major operation within the military, changing its genetic code. With the May 27 coup, a military that Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder of the Republic of Turkey, had kept distant from politics was replaced with a military that intervened in everything. The coups of March 12, 1971, Sept. 12, 1980, Feb. 28, 1997 and Talat Aydemir's coup attempt entered Turkey's political life as strains of the May 27 coup. I am not even mentioning the dozens of coup attempts that took place but did not go further than being merely attempts. Most of the issues that spark an outcry over the regime being in crisis are the remains of May 27. Kemalism has evolved into an ideology that has almost nothing to do with Mustafa Kemal, thanks to additions made to it by each junta after coups.
As I said before, the May 27 coup actually changed the balances and genetic code of the military. In the latest edition of Aksiyon magazine, dated May 25, Cemal Kalyoncu explained the events that took place within the military at that time in his article titled “May 27 coup d'état.” After the military coup on May 27, 7,500 military officers, including Chief of General Staff Gen. Ragıp Gümüşpala, were forced to retire. Rüştü Erdelhun, head of the Turkish military's General Staff before the coup, was tried on Yassıada, and the chief of general staff that succeeded him was forced to retire. About 90 percent of the generals, 75 percent of the colonels, 50 percent of the lieutenant colonels and 30 percent of the majors were discharged from the army. There is no rational explanation for such a quick and immense reduction in force.
Moreover, it was strategically very wrong to force 7,200 military officers to retire all at the same time. How would they be able to pay their compensation and pension funds? An article in the Hürriyet daily dated July 5, 1960 provided a clear explanation as to who was backing the military's plan. The article read: “The US has provided $1 billion in aid. The agreement was signed yesterday. Of that amount, $500 million will be spent on national defense and $200 million on other operations. The US, which has expressed that it supports our national revolution at every opportunity, has increased its support for government.”
Interestingly, during the same period, Greece made the decision to reorganize its military as well, and Turkey and Greece discharged many of their old military officers all at once. This reorganization affected the future of the military. During the coup period, War Academy students who marched to Kızılay on May 21, 1960 stood guard at Yassıada after the coup made progress within the military. These students, who were allowed to excel, were later associated with coups and states of emergency. They were promoted to the level of full general and became popular names in the public.
Among these names are Şener Eruygur, Hurşit Tolon, Çevik Bir, Tuncer Kılınç, Kemal Yavuz, Edip Başer, Tamer Akbaş, Çetin Doğan, Yaşar Büyükanıt, Fevzi Türkeri, Akay Şakman, Teoman Koman, İlhami Erdil, Necip Torumtay, Kemal Yamak, İlhan Oral, İrfan Tınaz and Doğu Aktulga.
There is a benefit in analyzing the question of who was discharged from the military during that time and who was promoted.
A state of emergency has been in effect in Turkey ever since that date.
