Post-coup purge adds to Turkey’s instability

The Middle East Institute in Washington said Turkey is celebrating the crushing of the military coup while the government is embarked on a civilian coup in an attempt to “protect democracy”.

G?nül Tol, the Director of the Center for Turkish Studies at the institute, wrote on its website that “the government fired tens of thousands of employees from the education and interiors ministries; shut down media outlets deemed to be close to the Gulenists and critical of the government; requesting the resignation of 1,000 university deans; and suspended or detained close to 35,000 soldiers, police and judges.”

“Only a few days after the coup failed, the grim reality has already set in. The fact that the coup has been averted does not mean that democracy will prevail. The government’s efforts to “protect democracy” are laying the foundations for an even more authoritarian Turkey. The president’s decision to “cleanse all state institutions of state enemies” carries the risk of rendering the country even more vulnerable to attacks from its internal and external foes,” the essay said.

“The number of people being sacked and arrested has sparked concerns that this is not a purge of plotters, but a purge of opposition supporters. This will increase social tension and polarization, and radicalize those segments of society who have been victimized by the government’s purge,” it added.

The writer further added that “The government’s decision to impose emergency law takes the country back to the dark years and practices of past military coups. It does not move Turkish democracy forward as claimed by the government. The unprecedented level of purges in all state institutions raises questions about the future effectiveness of these institutions. In a country which borders Syria, faces multiple terror threats domestically and regionally, and is a key Western ally in the fight against the Islamic State, detaining or suspending 35,000 soldiers, police and judges is too risky of a move to take. Many of those high-ranking military officers who were arrested due to their alleged involvement in the coup attempt are those who were leading operations against the P.K.K. and (Daesh) ISIS, and praised by the government for their successes in confronting these groups.”

“It might take years to replace the military officers who have been purged in the military and the police force,” she said.

“Turkey has already been going through tough times in the realm of foreign policy. Tougher days are ahead. Turkey’s democratic failings have already strained ties with the European Union. If Ankara reinstates the death penalty, Turkey-E.U. relations will hit a new low,” she added.

“The military coup might have been averted and the government might be in control, but a key NATO ally’s security and stability are more threatened than ever with weakened institutions, an enfeebled security apparatus, and a ruler who is ready to do anything to consolidate his power and wipe out his opponents,” she concluded.

Source: MENA