Turkey - Unsuccessful Military Coup and Aftermath

In modern history we learned from several events that military intervention and rule is not the solution to any problem rather it is greatest problem by itself, great to see Turkey never went on that road again. Now it is also important to investigate the real motive and culprits behind that bloody military actions. Looking to the track record of this type of events in Turkey, maybe we would not able to find the truth behind the bloody episode of unsuccessful military coup of July 15, 2016, but that is clear Erdogon is/will use this as opportunity to penalise his political opponents. I am afraid political victimisation and human rights abuse will rise in Turkey in coming weeks and months. We saw in recent years that Erdogan style of rule is bit of totalitarian and we should not forget that Hitler was also democratically elected.

Dismissal of over 2700 judges across Turkey in the blink of eye is strong signal in that direction and that is dangerous for the rule of law and democratic values in the country. Looks like hit lists of undesirable judges was ready even before recent bloody events. When that unsuccessful military cope was in progress, Fethullah Gulen and the followers of his reforms movement were the first to condemn that and they called that action absolute danger for the country and unacceptable. Fethullah Gulen’s call for investigation to probe into this unsuccessful coup allegations is reasonable demand. Contrary to that Erdogon regime put all of the blame on Gulen and large number of activists and followers of Gulen movement are arrested. Looks like human rights situation and political victimisation will rise in Turkey in coming days.

If we look at the background, Fethullah Gulen was Erdogan’s political ally until corruption allegations surface in 2013 on president’s son and on top government officials. Later on Erdogan put all of the blame of those charges on Gulen and his Hizmet movement and called that unsuccessful civilian cope. Interestingly in response to those allegations, instead of investigation on corruption charges government crackdown on judges and storm Hizmet offices. Erdogan government had said that the corruption investigation and comments by Gulen were the long term political agenda of Gulen's movement to infiltrate security, intelligence, and justice institutions of the Turkish state. These charges were almost identical to the charges against Fethullah Gulen by the Chief Prosecutor of the Republic of Turkey in his trial in 2000 and he had previously been tried in absentia in 2000, and acquitted in 2008 from these charges.

Gulen movement’s religious views and practice of Islam are based on Hanafi Suni School of thought with more emphasis on interfaith dialogue. They also follow Turkish Sufi traditions. One can find several similarities in Fethullah Gulen’s reformist views of Islam with Javed Ahmed Ghamadi of Pakistan (although Ghamadi is not into sufism). In past Gulen has criticized secularism in Turkey as "reductionist materialism". However, he believe that secular approach that is not anti-religious and allows for freedom of religion and belief, is compatible with Islam. He also said in one of his press release, in democratic-secular countries, 95% of Islamic principles are permissible and practically feasible, and there is no problem with them. The remaining 5% are not worth fighting for.

In practical politics we can see Erdogan regime is more leaning towards Saudi Arab and Wahabism, opposing to that Gulen movement has firm stand against Saudi Arab’s policies to spread wahabism/extremism among Muslims. Similar difference comes on Syrian issue. Gulen is strongly against Turkish involvement in the Syrian Civil war. While rejecting the Turkish and Saudi government's desire to topple President al-Assad.

It is bit early to come to some conclusion. Coming weeks and months are important to see where Turkey is heading for – rather progressive democratic republic or going towards the kingdom of Erdogon the magnificent.