Huge News From Turkey: Highest Ranking Military Officers Resign
Claire Berlinski, Ed. ·
Jul 29, 2011 at 8:59am
This just came across the transom:
Turkish Chief of General Staff Gen. Işık Koşaner announced his resignation Friday afternoon.
His resignation was followed by the resignations of Turkey's Land, Sea and Air Force commanders.
I don't yet know what this means or what the implications will be, but obviously it's a very big deal.
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Comments :
Mar '11
Re: Huge News From Turkey: Highest Ranking Military Officers Resign
Interesting. Usually in Turkey's history, if the military wanted to crack down on civilians, they just did it. Is this a sign that Turkey is maturing politically? In a mature democratic society, this is precisely what a military leader would do if he couldn't stomach his government's policy.
Or is it a sign that the military class will seek to fight civilian control in an insurgency?
Aug '10
Re: Huge News From Turkey: Highest Ranking Military Officers Resign
Claire,
So Erdogan is gutting the staff ? You may have already read this : "the Erdoğan Government, meanwhile, feels under pressure to make major strategic moves, and it is beginning to take risks to expand Turkey’s regional influence. It has made its major alliance with the PRC to escape from the dominance it had been forced (more-or-less) to accept from Moscow in 2008, but it remains competitive with all of its neighbors and its sometime allies, including, for example, Egypt, with which it may seek some new relations to offset the growing Egyptian-Iranian ties. "
I bet you'd give a dollar to be in Istanbul right now. Guess they waited until you'd left..
Edited on Jul 29, 2011 at 1:01pmMar '11
Re: Huge News From Turkey: Highest Ranking Military Officers Resign
VDH explains.
Re: Huge News From Turkey: Highest Ranking Military Officers Resign
I'll be back in Turkey in a few days. I just can't begin to say what's really going on from Seattle. And with the greatest of respect and affection for VDH, neither can he.
Dec '10
Re: Huge News From Turkey: Highest Ranking Military Officers Resign
I dunno what it means, but if I were a belligerent country with an ax to grind against Turkey, now seems like an excellent time to have a go at it.
Nothing like broadcasting the message "I'm totally helpless, and will be for some time!" to all and sundry (especially in that part of the world).
Re: Huge News From Turkey: Highest Ranking Military Officers Resign
CoolHand: I dunno what it means, but if I were a belligerent country with an ax to grind against Turkey, now seems like an excellent time to have a go at it.
Nothing like broadcasting the message "I'm totally helpless, and will be for some time!" to all and sundry (especially in that part of the world). · Jul 29 at 3:31pm
And we should know.
Aug '10
Re: Huge News From Turkey: Highest Ranking Military Officers Resign
Whither Cyprus ? And Greece ?