By Gareth Jenkins - Eurasia Daily Monitor - The Jamestown Foundation - Washington D.C., U.S.A.
Monday, August 6, 2007
On August 4th the Turkish military officially announced the expulsion of ten serving officers for alleged Islamic fundamentalist activities.
The announcement came one day after the end of a three-day meeting of the Supreme Military Council (YAS), which traditionally meets at the beginning of August to decide on the annual round of promotions and appointments in the Turkish military. Another 13 officers were expelled for disciplinary offences (Anadolu Ajans, NTV, August 4).
In recent years the expulsion of officers suspected of Islamic activities has become a regular occurrence at YAS meetings.
Since the early 1990s, identifying Islamist sympathizers in the armed forces has become one of the primary objectives of Turkish military intelligence. Although the expelled officers are usually accused of Islamist “activities,” suspected intent rather than action is usually sufficient to ensure their expulsion.
The expelled officers are rarely allowed access to the evidence gathered against them and, under Article 125 of the Turkish Constitution; there is no right of appeal against YAS decisions. Expelled officers automatically lose all their pension rights and frequently have difficulty finding alternative employment.
Introducing the right of appeal against YAS decisions is one of several constitutional amendments currently being considered by the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party).
Although they signed the latest YAS decision, both Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Defense Minister Vecdi Gonul noted their objections to the lack of a right of appeal (Hurriyet, Milliyet, August 5). Nevertheless, the TGS has opposed the introduction of a right of appeal, arguing that it would force the military to disclose classified information.
Until relatively recently, the TGS’s primary fear was infiltration by supporters of Mr Fetullah Gulen, a spiritual leader who is currently residing in the United States. However, in recent years the TGS has also become concerned by the activities of the Naqshabandi Sufi brotherhood, which is one of the oldest and largest orders in Turkey.
Although all Sufi brotherhoods are theoretically illegal in Turkey, in recent years they have begun to operate increasingly openly.
In conversation with this Jamestown correspondent, leading Naqshabandis freely admit to trying to cultivate serving members of the military, although they insist that they are solely concerned with the officers’ spiritual well-being and have no ambitions either to influence the internal workings of the TGS or erode its traditional rigorous commitment to the principle of secularism enshrined in the Turkish constitution.
Thursday, August 09, 2007
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Thursday, August 09, 2007
Islamist Sympathizers or Spiritual Seekers?
Monday, August 6, 2007
On August 4th the Turkish military officially announced the expulsion of ten serving officers for alleged Islamic fundamentalist activities.
The announcement came one day after the end of a three-day meeting of the Supreme Military Council (YAS), which traditionally meets at the beginning of August to decide on the annual round of promotions and appointments in the Turkish military. Another 13 officers were expelled for disciplinary offences (Anadolu Ajans, NTV, August 4).
In recent years the expulsion of officers suspected of Islamic activities has become a regular occurrence at YAS meetings.
Since the early 1990s, identifying Islamist sympathizers in the armed forces has become one of the primary objectives of Turkish military intelligence. Although the expelled officers are usually accused of Islamist “activities,” suspected intent rather than action is usually sufficient to ensure their expulsion.
The expelled officers are rarely allowed access to the evidence gathered against them and, under Article 125 of the Turkish Constitution; there is no right of appeal against YAS decisions. Expelled officers automatically lose all their pension rights and frequently have difficulty finding alternative employment.
Introducing the right of appeal against YAS decisions is one of several constitutional amendments currently being considered by the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party).
Although they signed the latest YAS decision, both Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Defense Minister Vecdi Gonul noted their objections to the lack of a right of appeal (Hurriyet, Milliyet, August 5). Nevertheless, the TGS has opposed the introduction of a right of appeal, arguing that it would force the military to disclose classified information.
Until relatively recently, the TGS’s primary fear was infiltration by supporters of Mr Fetullah Gulen, a spiritual leader who is currently residing in the United States. However, in recent years the TGS has also become concerned by the activities of the Naqshabandi Sufi brotherhood, which is one of the oldest and largest orders in Turkey.
Although all Sufi brotherhoods are theoretically illegal in Turkey, in recent years they have begun to operate increasingly openly.
In conversation with this Jamestown correspondent, leading Naqshabandis freely admit to trying to cultivate serving members of the military, although they insist that they are solely concerned with the officers’ spiritual well-being and have no ambitions either to influence the internal workings of the TGS or erode its traditional rigorous commitment to the principle of secularism enshrined in the Turkish constitution.
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politics
By Gareth Jenkins - Eurasia Daily Monitor - The Jamestown Foundation - Washington D.C., U.S.A.Monday, August 6, 2007
On August 4th the Turkish military officially announced the expulsion of ten serving officers for alleged Islamic fundamentalist activities.
The announcement came one day after the end of a three-day meeting of the Supreme Military Council (YAS), which traditionally meets at the beginning of August to decide on the annual round of promotions and appointments in the Turkish military. Another 13 officers were expelled for disciplinary offences (Anadolu Ajans, NTV, August 4).
In recent years the expulsion of officers suspected of Islamic activities has become a regular occurrence at YAS meetings.
Since the early 1990s, identifying Islamist sympathizers in the armed forces has become one of the primary objectives of Turkish military intelligence. Although the expelled officers are usually accused of Islamist “activities,” suspected intent rather than action is usually sufficient to ensure their expulsion.
The expelled officers are rarely allowed access to the evidence gathered against them and, under Article 125 of the Turkish Constitution; there is no right of appeal against YAS decisions. Expelled officers automatically lose all their pension rights and frequently have difficulty finding alternative employment.
Introducing the right of appeal against YAS decisions is one of several constitutional amendments currently being considered by the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party).
Although they signed the latest YAS decision, both Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Defense Minister Vecdi Gonul noted their objections to the lack of a right of appeal (Hurriyet, Milliyet, August 5). Nevertheless, the TGS has opposed the introduction of a right of appeal, arguing that it would force the military to disclose classified information.
Until relatively recently, the TGS’s primary fear was infiltration by supporters of Mr Fetullah Gulen, a spiritual leader who is currently residing in the United States. However, in recent years the TGS has also become concerned by the activities of the Naqshabandi Sufi brotherhood, which is one of the oldest and largest orders in Turkey.
Although all Sufi brotherhoods are theoretically illegal in Turkey, in recent years they have begun to operate increasingly openly.
In conversation with this Jamestown correspondent, leading Naqshabandis freely admit to trying to cultivate serving members of the military, although they insist that they are solely concerned with the officers’ spiritual well-being and have no ambitions either to influence the internal workings of the TGS or erode its traditional rigorous commitment to the principle of secularism enshrined in the Turkish constitution.
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