Erdoğan was on a television program called “Enine Boyuna” (In Extenso) on TRT, where he made important statements on a range of sensitive issues, from the Protocol on Cooperation for Security and Public Order (EMASYA) to Article 35 of the Military Internal Service Law. In reference to the MGSB, which is also known as the “red book” or “secret Constitution,” Erdoğan said, “When we look at this and evaluate it as a whole, it truly presents a chilling prospect.”He made other remarks about the document as well. He said the document had no legal basis, that it was a mandate and that they, as the Justice and Development Party (AK Party), have undertaken major changes ever since coming to power. Erdoğan then vowed to reconsider the policy document and said, “There will no longer by any domestic threat.” These statements about the MGSB, which the public learned about in detail after it was seized from the Sauna crime gang in 2006, are revolutionary for Turkey. I hope promises will be kept and that the conditions that lead to coups and which make the wives of the prime minister and president, to say nothing of ordinary citizens, be perceived as suspicious will be eradicated.
This endeavor related to the MGSB is revolutionary given the conditions in Turkey. The extent to which civilians had a say in the preparation of this blood-curdling document is debatable. In normal democracies, these types of documents are prepared by elected public officials with the contribution of security institutions, and more importantly, they are shared with the public.
Don’t think I am exaggerating. New US President Barack Obama hasn’t yet published a National Security Document, but you can access former President George W. Bush’s strategic security document online. The original name of the document that was published on Sept. 20, 2002 and later presented to Congress is “The National Security Strategy of the United States.”
You don’t even have to go that far. You can also read the UK’s National Security Strategy dated March 2008. (http://interactive.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/documents/security/national_security_strategy.pdf)
The most significant aspect of the 64-page document that was shared with the public in a transparent manner is on the very first page, which reads that it was prepared by the government and presented to Parliament by the prime minister.
The words government and citizens are used in the very first sentence of the introduction, which explains that the government’s most important responsibility is providing security to the nation and its citizens. It highlights that Cold War conditions have changed and that no country threatens the UK directly. New threats are listed as international terror, weapons of mass destruction, conflicts and failed states, pandemics and transnational crimes. The document then goes on to explain in detail how these challenges will be addressed. It touches upon a range of issues from energy security to counter-intelligence attempts and from climate change to attacks against Internet networks.
The document also includes concrete data. For example, while 1 billion pounds was spent on counterterrorism in 2001 and 2.5 billion pounds in 2008, the figure is expected to be 3.5 billion pounds in 2011. It notes that 180,000 people were prohibited from boarding planes by airport security officials over the course of five years and that 100 percent of those entering and leaving the country are to be electronically checked in 2014.
Contrary to the mentality in Turkey, which perceives a large portion of its citizens as domestic threats and considers finishing off people with the “Sledgehammer” plan, values that must be considered when observing the national security strategy are “human rights, the rule of law, legitimate and accountable government, justice, freedom, tolerance and opportunity for all.” It also emphasizes opting for an approach of partnering with the public, individuals, business and civil society instead of a mentality that sees national security as strictly a military, police and intelligence affair.
Let’s see when Turkey will be able to prepare these kinds of transparent and democratic national security documents.
