According to Radikal’s Oral Çalışlar, it is not possible for Turkey to retreat from the position it has reached today in terms of democratization and civilianization. In his view, it is obvious that Turkey is approaching the point where it solves its problems in Parliament. Çalışlar, therefore, does not find realistic the concerns of some circles that think the government will use the power and initiative it will win after confronting militarism to abolish the multiparty system and democracy. “Even if the government wants, it cannot do such a thing. The statement of the military following every coup that ‘there will be a return to the democratic system as soon as possible’ is not because of their love and trust for democracy but due to the understanding of democracy in Turkey, which was developing despite all its shortcomings, and due to Turkey’s relations with the West. Turkey’s democracy so far has not allowed the elimination of democracy and it will not do so,” thinks Çalışlar.Interpreting the ongoing process in Turkey as very critical, he says, the Ergenekon prosecutors are waging a judicial war that requires courage. “Things have come to a point that was not even imagined by the Justice and Development Party [AK Party]. There is no possibility of turning back from this point,” says Çalışlar.
Milliyet’s Hasan Cemal regrets that no accounting for the military coups and memoranda has been demanded thus far by the judiciary, the legislative body or the media. To the contrary, he says, these institutions prepared the groundwork for the military meddling in politics in a country where many sins were committed by the military regarding democracy, the judiciary, human rights and liberties. Stressing that many other countries in the world have held the perpetrators of coups to account, such as Greece, Spain, Argentina and Italy, Cemal says this is what has been delayed in Turkey. “Now, this door is being opened. Do we want to be a democratic nation or not. This is the point,” says Cemal.
“The backbone of a system is crumbling. The political power of the military has been cut, and the members of the military who assumed the role of intervening in politics are being brought to account,” says Yeni Şafak’s Ali Bayramoğlu over the ongoing process in Turkey. Through this process, he thinks, there are efforts to maintain two indispensable elements of a democratic order. One is removing the military from the political domain, while the other is ensuring civilian supervision over the military. No matter the ups and downs in the process, Bayramoğlu says there will be no turning back from the point Turkey has reached today.
