Observers applaud gov't move on EMASYA, demand further steps

The protocol, which was harshly criticized for allowing the military to conduct operations and gather intelligence in cities without the approval of the civilian administration, was quashed on Thursday. The controversial protocol was signed by the General Staff and the Interior Ministry on July 7, 1997 and empowered the military to intervene in social incidents on its own initiative. EMASYA gave the military the authority to gather intelligence against internal threats. Although the protocol was severely criticized by politicians and analysts over the years, it remained in force.

President Abdullah Gül told reporters on Friday that the protocol contradicted Turkish legal and democratic standards. "I previously said the protocol needed to be abolished. So did the military chief. And the protocol has been quashed. There is no need for further comment on the issue," he noted. The move has boosted hopes that the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) government will fully focus on efforts to revise or abolish the National Security Policy Document (MGSB), a resolution that acts as a guideline for the military in situations of domestic conflict.

“EMASYA was a document that was believed to lay the necessary ground -- either openly or covertly -- for military takeovers. So is the MGSB. Therefore, it needs to be revised. Intending to revise this document is tantamount to fighting [the mistakes of] the Feb. 28, 1997 postmodern coup period,” stated Ahmet Taşgetiren, a columnist for the Bugün daily.

Soldiers patrolled the streets of İstanbul shortly after the Nov. 20, 2003 bombing of the HSBC Bank - - which, along with a series of other bombings around the same time, killed more than 50 people.

EMASYA is believed to be a product of the Feb. 28 coup, during which the military overthrew the coalition government led by Necmettin Erbakan of the now-defunct Welfare Party (RP).

The columnist also recalled the remarks of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who once said he was “appalled” when he saw the content of the MGSB, also known as the “Red Book.” “What kind of a document is this? What is so appalling about it? They [the government] should be clear on this point,” Taşgetiren added.

The MGSB, which is known as Turkey’s “secret constitution,” lies behind many military interventions as it enables the military to plot against governments. Religious reactionaryism, ethnic separatism and extreme leftist movements are listed as the three most dangerous threats to Turkey’s security in the MGSB. Nationalist and neo-nationalist organizations are also seen as domestic threats.

Last week, Erdoğan hinted that the document could be revised. Taşgetiren also said the government should revise Article 35 of the Internal Service Code in order to normalize civilian-military relations. The article stipulates that the duty of the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) is to protect the Turkish motherland and the Constitution. The TSK has carried out coups in the past, invoking this article as justification.

According to Cengiz Çandar, a Radikal daily columnist, the government took a “first step” in the removal of the military’s tutelage through the abolishment of EMASYA, but needs to cover much more distance to attain its objective.

“Had the Balyoz [Sledgehammer] coup plan not been revealed, we would continue to live with EMASYA. The abolishment of this protocol is important for the state to grow more transparent. But why is Turkey being governed through covert documents? Is the Constitution, which is the product of a coup, not enough?” Çandar asked. Heated debates over EMASYA returned to Turkey’s agenda after the exposure of a suspected military plan to overthrow the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) government. A retired general who is thought to be the mastermind behind the plan confessed to having drafted the Sledgehammer Security Operation Plan in accordance with the controversial protocol.

The plan outlines a subversive TSK plot to take control of the country through a series of violent acts. Çandar, in addition, called on the government to continue its struggle against documents that stand as grounds for “military tutelage.” “On top of the list is the MGSB. Then come [documents on] domestic threats. These are followed by Article 35 of the Internal Service Code and the Law on Provincial Administration. The final point is the Constitution,” he remarked.

Felicity Party (SP) leader Numan Kurtulmuş also said his party would lend the necessary support to the AK Party government to get rid of all remnants of the Sept. 12, 1980 coup. “I extend my congratulations to those who contributed to the abolishment of EMASYA. We expect the government to get rid of all similar documents that date back to the Sept. 12 coup period. Article 15 of the Constitution, which is aimed at protecting coup instigators, should be abolished as well. We need to prepare a [legal] structure in which no one would dare to think of staging coups,” he said.

The current Constitution was put into force after the Sept. 12, 1980 coup, and it has been harshly criticized for restricting fundamental rights and freedoms. The government is also working on a plan to replace the Constitution with a more civilian one.

Atalay: No need for legal steps after elimination of EMASYA

Interior Minister Beşir Atalay has said no legislation is needed after the abolishment of the controversial EMASYA. “As you know, EMASYA was a protocol that mentioned what needs to be done by governors and under what circumstances they could request assistance from the military in cases of terror-related social incidents. I told you on Thursday that I had a meeting with the chief of general staff about the abolishment of the document. There is no need to take any legal steps after its abolishment,” the interior minister told members of the press on Friday.

Atalay, however, declined to comment on the government’s work on the definition of the concept of “domestic threats.”