The Key Political Decisions of the Military Government in Turkey, September 1980-November 1983 and the Impact on Those Decisions.
Abstract
In the two years preceeding 12 September 1980, more than five thousand Turkish citizens were violently killed by other Turkish citizens. On 12 September 1980, the five ranking leaders of the Turkish Armed Forces took over the complete administration of the country. They did so in spite of the tradition of not mixing active military duty with politics. However, their action was historically justified by the mission assigned to them by the founder of the modern Turkish Republic Mustafe Kemal Ataturk, to protect and preserve the nation in accordance with its basic tenets. The Generals administered the country for slightly over three years. During that time, they not only successfully ended the violence, they also made a number of key political decisions concerning the basic structure of the government and the nature of politics within the society. They opted for a civil government operating under an elective mandate, revised constitutional authorities, limited political organizations and activity, new political actors and a new system of military oversight. A postcript briefly outlines developments since November 1983 and suggests that the decisions have been largely successful in the short term. Successful civil government in Turkey must meet three criteria; it must insure domestic tranquility, it must advance economic development, and it must remain politically viable.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- May 01, 1985
- Accession Number
- ADA158893
Entities
People
- R. F. Hervey
Organizations
- United States Army War College