Changes In The Turkish Security Culture And In The Civil-Military Relations
Changes In The Turkish Security Culture And In The Civil-Military Relations

Summary/Abstract: This paper analyzes dynamics of Turkish civil – military relations starting from the year 2001. It aims at explaining both institutional and cultural changes in the field. Analytical model applied assumes four main variables which are not deterministic: the EU - harmonization process as a major variable, the Turkish security culture, the civil-military related political culture and the US security policy. The author claims an analysis of the political culture to be fundamental in understanding civil-military relations in any context, while the EU harmonization process is taken as a main variable which explains changes in the conventional military related political culture in the Turkey. That process contributed to the curbing of the formal influence of the military till the year of 2005 when the setbacks took place due to the US intervention in Iraq. US security policy led to the partial revitalization of Turkish traditional security culture which highlights military supremacy. Despite that the new political culture which rejects the idea of the coup or any type of military intervention in civilian politics emerged in Turkey.

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