A public survey: Democratic initiative and coup document (2)
by
SITKI YILDIZ*

Army tested by authentic signature

How democratic can the political regime of a country that fails to face and question the military coups it suffered be? There are two responses to this question: A coup is staged in countries such as Turkey to preserve the regime. For this reason, we have to get accustomed to coups. This means those concerned about the fate of the regime are recognized as having the right to stage a coup any time they want. Second, a coup attempt should be effectively addressed and prevented regardless of who leads it and what methods are employed to execute it.

The fight for democracy and rule of law in Turkey in recent times has been shaped in accordance with the two responses; this struggle takes on concrete dimensions in discussions over the ongoing Ergenekon investigation and the democratic initiative. This discussion became particularly concrete and visible with a controversy surrounding an authentic signature, a controversy brought on by a signature found on a military document detailing a plot to illegally undermine the governing Justice and Development Party (AK Party), believed to belong to Ergenekon suspect Col. Dursun Çiçek.

 This document, originally a piece of paper, turned into a genuine instrument in three months; it has become a valuable asset over which the military and civilian prosecutors are fighting. Aside from who penned the document and other technical and formal discussions, including whether the signature on the paper is authentic or not, the content of the paper and the venue where it was drafted should be discussed. The said document is an action plan to fight reactionaryism; by reactionary movements, the paper refers to the AK Party and the Gülen movement.

The content of the document, whose authenticity was confirmed by a forensic report, features detailed action plans. In sum, the overall objective of this plan is to plot sensational actions to undermine the image and prestige of the AK Party and the Gülen movement.

This document in fact eroded the image and reliability of the chief of General Staff and the military. The findings of the survey state that one-third of respondents were negatively influenced by the document and that they developed negative sentiments towards the military. Aside from the discourse demanding the resignation of the chief of General Staff and calling for governmental action to remove him from office, the research findings show that half of respondents favor the chief of General Staff retaining his post, whereas 32 percent of survey participants think he should resign. I think the General Staff and all political actors should think about this growing public opposition to the increased involvement of the military in political affairs. The image of the military and the chief of General Staff were eroded during this process. Thirty-seven percent of survey participants stated that they do not believe the military will take adequate measures to purge illegal and pro-coup actors and entities from itself.

The reference to the Gülen movement in the document should also be extensively considered. Because the discussion is being made with reference to civilian-military relations within the context of the row between the AK Party and the General Staff, the planned actions against the Gülen movement have remained relatively insignificant. The revelation of the action plan seeking to eliminate the Gülen movement, the largest civil society organization in Turkey, contributed to the elimination of probable social upheavals. Thanks to recent developments, members of this movement are now relieved.

Following the revelation of this coup document, illegal memos drafted to call for action in an attempt to address alleged reactionary movements as well as the Cage Action Plan, an alleged anti-democratic formation within the Naval Forces Command planning to destroy the governing AK Party by assassinating prominent non-Muslim figures in Turkey and putting the blame for the killings on the party, the loyalty of the military to democracy and the rule of law will be questioned further. Regardless of whether these and other similar documents are authentic, the actual question that needs to be asked is whether the military will keep interfering in political affairs. We will get the answer to this question by experiencing developments that will take place in the years to come.