Erdogan Restructuring Turkish Military, Ending Its Historic Independence

President Erdogan, continuing to utilize the failed coup attempt of 18 days ago, has ended the historic division between the army and government that has existed for nearly a century.

Wiping the last visages  military independence, Erdogan’s government made statutory decree as par of the three-month emergence decree that the prime minister, chief of General Staff, the deputy prime ministers, justice minister, foreign minister, interior minister, defense minister and force commanders would join to the Supreme Military Council.

This injection of “civilian” governance into the military would be fine in any other country, but in Turkey the Supreme Military Council was designed to remain separate in order to ensure that Turkey would remain secular in its institutions.  In a strange sense it is the military that was built to hold up democracy.

Turkey’s war academies, military high schools, and high schools that train non-commissioned officers have been closed.