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Timeline:AhistoryofTurkishcoups
ThemilitaryhasinterveneddirectlyinTurkishpoliticsthreetimes,andin1997carriedouta
"postmoderncoup."
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KenanEvren,theformerTurkishpresidentnowfacingchargesinanAnkaracourt,isonlythemostrecentinalonglineofmilitaryofficerstoseizepower
inacoup.
Themilitaryhaslongseenitselfasthe"guardianofTurkishdemocracy",whichitdefinesasthestaunchlysecularstatecreatedbyMustafaKemalAtaturk,
thefounderofthemodernTurkishrepublic.IthasdirectlyintervenedthreetimesinTurkishpolitics,andin1997itcarriedoutwhatsomescholarsdescribe
asa"postmoderncoup".
1960
ThefirstcoupintheTurkishrepublictookplacein1960,duringatimeofheightenedtensionsbetweentheTurkishgovernmentandtheopposition.
TherulingDemocraticParty,headedbyprimeministerAdnanMenderesandpresidentCelalBayar,begantoloosensomeofthetoughestAtaturkera
rulesdealingwithreligion:itallowedthousandsofmosquestoreopen,legalisedthecalltoprayerinArabicinsteadofTurkish,andopenednewschoolsfor
religiouspersonnel,amongothers.Italsoshortenedtheperiodofmandatorymilitaryservice.
Atthesametime,itfurtheralienatedtheoppositionbyimposingrestrictivenewpresslawsandoccasionallybarringcriticalnewspapersfrompublishing.
GrowingtensionscausedtheMenderesgovernmenttoimposemartiallawinearly1960.ThearmysteppedinandtoppledthegovernmentonMay27the
president,primeministerandseveralcabinetmemberswerearrestedandquicklytriedfortreasonandotheroffences.Mendereswasexecuted.
GeneralCemalGurselassumedpowerasbothpresidentandprimeministerbeginningaperiodofmilitarydominatedpoliticsthatwouldlastuntil1965.
1971
TheTurkisheconomystagnatedinthelate1960s,andtherecessioncausedwidespreadunrest:workers'groupsstageddemonstrations,sometimes
violent,andrightwinggroupscarriedoutattacksoftheirown.Thecurrencywasdevaluedin1960annualinflationreachednearly80percent.
SoinMarchthemilitaryintervenedonceagain,aneffortto"restoreorder",itsaid.MemduhTagmac,thechiefofthegeneralstaff,gaveamemorandumto
theprimeminister,SuleymanDemirel.Itaccusedhisgovernmentofdrivingthecountryintoanarchy,anddemandedtheformationofa"strongand
crediblegovernment...inspiredbyAtaturk'sviews."
Demirelresignedhourslater,aftermeetingwithhiscabinet.
Themilitarydidnotruledirectlyduringthisperiod.ItfirstaskedNihatErim,amemberoftherightwingRepublicanPeople'sParty,toformacaretaker
governmentitwasthefirstofseveralwhichgovernedTurkeyuntil1973,whenFahriKoruturk,aretirednavalofficer,wasinstalledaspresidentbythe
parliament.
1980
Instabilitycontinuedevenafterthe1971coup:Turkeychangedprimeministers11timesinthe1970s,theeconomycontinuedtostagnate,andleftand
rightwinggroupscontinuedtheirviolentclashesinthestreets.Thousandsofpeoplewereassassinated.
Themilitarybegandiscussingapossiblecoupinlate1979,andinMarch1980agroupofgeneralsrecommendedthattheymoveforward.Itwasdelayed
severaltimes,andfinallylaunchedinSeptember,whenofficersannouncedonstatetelevisionthattheywereimposingmartiallawanddissolvingthe
government.
Evrenbecamepresident,andanavalofficer,BulentUlusu,assumedthepostofprimeminister.
TheseyearsofmilitaryruledidbringsomestabilitytoTurkey.Ulusuwassucceededin1983byTurgutOzal,whoisnowwidelycreditedwithstabilisingthe
Turkisheconomybyprivatisingmanystateownedindustries.Inflationdroppedandemploymentgrew.
Themilitaryalsoarrestedhundredsofthousandsofpeopledozenswereexecuted,whilemanyothersweretorturedorsimplydisappeared.
Anewconstitutionwasdraftedandputbeforeapublicreferendumin1982itwasoverwhelminglyapproved.
1997
The1995electionledtooverwhelminggainsfortheIslamistWelfareparty,whichtookpowerthefollowingyearastheheadofacoalitiongovernment.
In1997themilitaryissuedaseriesof"recommendations",whichthegovernmenthadnochoicebuttoaccept.Theprimeminister,NecmettinErbakan,
agreedtoacompulsoryeightyeareducationprogramme(topreventpupisfromenrollinginreligiousschools),aheadscarfbanatuniversities,andother
measures.Erbakanwasthenforcedtoresign.
TheWelfarepartywasshutdownin1998,andErbakanwasbannedfrompoliticsforfiveyears.
Someformermembersoftheparty,includingcurrentprimeministerRecepTayyipErdogan,wouldeventuallygoontofoundtheJusticeandDevelopment
Party.

Source:AlJazeera
PoliticsEuropeTurkey

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