Turkey verge of breakdown democracy

The failed coup that shook Turkey on July 15th, which has profoundly changed the international political order, is having strong repercussions within the country.

Who is against who

The Turkish army: In Turkey, the army is considered the guarantor of the secular state, a principle established by the founder of the modern Turkish state, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. From the Sixties to the present days, the Turkish military has carried out three successful coups: in 1971 there was not even the need to release the soldiers from the barracks. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan: He is the leading figure of the Party for Justice and Development (known by the AKP acronym), with conservative and Islamist orientation. Known to be Turkey’s the most important and powerful political figure in the last decade, he has been accused by his opponents to govern in a manner similar to a dictator and to want to " Islamize " Turkey. Fethullah Gülen: He is a religious figure, former Erdoğan’s ally and since several years living in self-imposed exile in the United States. He promots a more liberal view of Islam and, according to many commentators, he has infiltrated top police and intelligence with his supporters. Erdoğan and Gülen turned from being allies to political enemies, with the former accusing the latter of conspiring against him. Gülen has denied any involvement in the coup.

Turkey deeply divided

The coup could not succeed and now President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan accelerates the process of Islamization of the country, while world leaders remain fearful. Turkey is a divided country, as demonstrated by the thousands of people who celebrated the attempt to oust the president. If, by one side, this is the thermometer of the internal tensions that can be felt at home, on the other side it is also the reason why Erdogan, in all likelihood, will accelerate the Islamization process of the country, started back in 2001 when the current Turkish President, released from prison, founded the AKP party. Today, the AKP has a majority in parliament, with 317 seats out of the 550 available. Erdogan, who had been arrested in 1998 for inciting religious hatred, has never hidden neither his pro-Islam position, nor the one next to the Ziya Gokalp poet, whose verses are clear and conclusive: " the mosques are our barracks, the domes our helmets, the minarets our bayonets and the Faithfuls our soldiers". Since the early 2000s, Erdoğan has turned laical Turkey into a country with a strong Islamic character.

Accusations and false flag.

Erdoğan claims that the coup was masterminded by Turkish political expert, and sworn enemy, Fethullah Gülen, who argues that it is a “false flag”, or rather an operation designed desk by Erdoğan himself, with the intent to get rid of the enemies and take control of the nation. Turkey is still a powder keg that can explode at any time. Other consequences to be taken in serious consideration are those linked within Turkish military apparatus. The attempted coup could lead to several changes in the army for neutralize any threat to the Presidency. The risk of serious tensions between different departments and internal struggles for security structures could further weaken the country and make Turkey more vulnerable to ISIS attacks and Kurdish separatist groups. Immediate measures already taken First “Emergency Decree” after the failed putsch shows that more than two thousand organizations were closed, including 1,043 private schools and student dormitories, 15 universities, 19 trade unions, 35 hospitals and medical institutions, along with 1,229 foundations and charities for suspected links with the Fethullah Gulen network. The decree also stipulates that civil servants which will be established the link with the above network will be laid off and will no longer work in the future in the public sector. The decree-law also extends police custody for the suspects, who can be held for a full 30 days (against the usual four or eight pre-announced by the Minister of Justice) and it is not formalized any charges against them. But that's not all. Provided, in the same emergency decree, even restrictive measures for citizens who will be found without identity documents (and which will be fined). Also expected to narrow to those who are stopped while intoxicated and who is found in possession of a weapon. It exacerbated the complaint, with higher fines for those who publish audio, video or print without authorization, as well as for those who bring to the stage plays or organize screenings without permission. Among the measures taken by the government after the coup there's also the abolition of the Presidential Guard. The elite corps, a kind of Turkish Corazzieri to protect President Erdogan, will be deleted after 283 of its 2,500 members have been arrested on suspicion of being involved in the coup. In the meantime, 1,200 soldiers arrested after the coup were released, while Ankara has canceled the passports 10,856 people, and the number of people arrested in connection with the attempted coup rose to 13,165. Turkey has suspended last Friday the European Convention on Human Rights. This was announced by deputy and spokesman for the government in Ankara, Numan Kurtulmus, adding that in any case the government hopes to lift the state of emergency after " 40-45 days ".

Big names on black list

Turkish security forces arrested, on the Black Sea, Halis Hanci , considered the ' right arm ' of Imam Fethullah Gulen. According to sources quoted by Hurriyet newspaper, Hanci is held responsible for the transfer of funds at Gulen and would have entered in Turkey two days before the attempted putsch. Imam’s grandson, Muhammet Sait Gulen, was also arrested. Fethuallah Gulen is " more dangerous than Osama bin Laden," said the Turkish minister for EU affairs, Omer Celik , during a press conference in Ankara . Celik added that the latest events will not put in crisis the agreement with Brussels to restrict migrants entering the EU.

Erdogan also confirmed that the state of emergency proclaimed in recent days to three months may be extended as long as necessary to manage to clean up " the institutions from this cancer, " namely the infiltration of the network of Fethullah Gulen. " There are no obstacles - he said - to an extension of state of emergency. Of course at the beginning it will be for three months, but after that we ask for another period of three months."

Allegations of Erdogan to EU

The "normalization" is in fact managed exclusively by President Erdogan. This is confirmed by the announcement of the next meeting of the Supreme Military Council, prior to Thursday, July 28th. For the first time the meeting will be held in the presidential palace instead of the usual army headquarters. Erdogan, then, will go along with the iron fist, rejecting the accusations that are coming from many international allies. Indeed, he’s fighting back: in an interview with France 24, the president accused the EU of being " biased " against Ankara: "They're acting on the basis of prejudice, being contradictory and full of prejudices". The vice - premier at G20 Only a few hours before the publication of the decree in the Official Journal, Turkish Vice Premier Mehmet Simsek, in the margins of the G20 meeting held in Chengdu, China, had tried to reassure foreign ministers of finance and central bankers, ensuring that Turkey “will continue to maintain a strong respect for democratic principles and to apply the rule of law. " After the attempted coup, many foreign investors have begun to withdraw from the country and the Turkish lira has fallen by more than 3.5 percent. For this reason, the central bank has assured that " measures will be taken to ensure proper performance of the financial markets ", primarily through delivery of liquidity to banks.

World leaders remain cautious

US President Barak Obama, German Kanzler Angela Merkel and Italian Premier Matteo Renzi have voiced lukewarm comments, citing the democratically elected government’s re-established order. As a matter of fact, they are fearful of the consequences, “because Erdoğan can feed a stream of thousands of refugees." The German Government considers " improbable opening new chapters " in the EU-Turkey accession talks of Ankara, in the words of Angela Merkel’s spokesman. The German Kanzler has expressed her opposition to the reintroduction of the death penalty in Turkey, called loudly by the people and reaffirmed by Erdogan. Even the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Federica Mogherini, warns Ankara on incompatibility between the death penalty and accession to the Union, urging the government to "respect the rule of law. " President Erdogan responds to the warnings: "any decision rests with parliament. And whatever the decision of the Parliament, I will approve. " The relations between Turkey and Russia are becoming increasingly hot, while at the same time between Ankara and Washington are always colder. Even before the coup, with the apologies of President Erdogan to Moscow, it was clear that the foreign policy line of Ankara had begun to take a different direction. Improving relations with Moscow promises significant benefits for Turkey. Erdogan expects that Russia will help to block the formation of an independent Kurdish state in return if Turkey will become the hub for the distribution of Russian gas.

Role of USA

Tensions between Turkey and the United States have increased substantially, especially for the fact that Washington has not yet handed in Turkey ex imam Fethullah Gülen. The United States replied that they are ready to help Turkey in the investigation on the attempted coup, as it was stated by US Secretary of State, John Kerry, who has, on the other hand, urged Ankara to show, if any clues can be attributed to Gulen’s responsibility. Washington has not had an active role in the attempted coup but it is likely that the US administration circles were aware of what was happening and simply have waited to see how it would end. The delay with which Obama has condemned the coup could be seen as a proof. It is also well established the important role that Turkish air force stationed in the NATO base at Incirlik has carried out; it is impossible to think that the Atlantic Alliance leaders (and Washington) did not know what was happening in one of the most strategic bases that NATO has in the world. Not surprisingly, the Incirlik base (like the one in Aviano, Italy) is directly controlled by US security forces and not those of the host country. Turkey’s disappointment. Turkey’s Minister for European Affairs Omer Celik was disappointed by the lack of visits to the country of senior officials of the EU at a distance of 1 week from the attempted coup. " We expected that EU officials and representatives of the Council of Europe would go on a visit to Turkey to express support for democratic values that we share and stand side by side with Turkey ", he said in a press conference.

Conclusion

While the international community has serious responsibilities for not having condemned the undemocratic policies of Erdogan, on the other hand the presence of Turkey in NATO and the agreements with the West will not allow the United States and the European Union to act decisively. The White House spokesman, Josh Earnest, said that "the status of Turkey in NATO is not in question", above all, it must be emphasized, due to American interests and Turkish role in Syria. It's clear that respect for the rule of law in Turkey now seems at this point pure illusion. A model country, until a few years ago, for peaceful coexistence, for secularism, and as a link between different cultures is now the protagonist of an authoritarian and Islamist turn. The events of recent days do nothing but aggravate the international situation and undermine the agreements with Turkey, which could become a new powder keg increasingly at the center of tensions in the Middle East. this point pure illusion. A model country, until a few years ago, for peaceful coexistence, for secularism, and as a link between different cultures is now the protagonist of an authoritarian and Islamist turn. The events of recent days do nothing but aggravate the international situation and undermine the agreements with Turkey, which could become a new powder keg increasingly at the center of tensions in the Middle East.

Article written by Sonia Russo