Special to WorldTribune.com

ANKARA — Turkey, fearing the prospect of intervention, has again
reduced the influence of the military.

Parliament has voted to redefine the duty of the military in Turkey. On
July 13, the ruling Justice and Development Party rammed through a bill that
would end any military intervention in politics.

“The duty of the Armed Forces is to protect the Turkish homeland against threats and dangers to come from abroad, to ensure the preservation and
strengthening of military power in a manner that will provide deterrence, to fulfill the duties abroad with the decision of the Parliament and help maintain international peace,” the amendment said.

The amendment was sponsored by the government of Prime Minister Recep Erdogan amid fears that the military, which staged four coups between 1960
and 1997, could exploit the nationwide protests in Turkey.

Under the revision, the military, the second largest in NATO, would be restricted to defense against foreign threats as well as participating in international
peacekeeping missions.

Over the last five years, Erdogan has steadily whittled away at the
power and influence of the military. The turning point came in 2010 when
much of the General Staff resigned in protest of Erdogan’s intervention and
the arrest of hundreds of officers. Since then, the prime minister was said
to have maintained direct control over the General Staff.

“Our country has a tradition of coups,” Defense Minister Ismet Yilmaz
said. “And the true victim of the coups has always been the people.”

Parliamentarians said the legislation also fell in line with European
Union demands to place the military under greater civilian control. They
said parliament would consider legislation to place the military under the
authority of the Defense Ministry.

The pro-military opposition also voted for the amendment.
Parliamentarians said they wanted to rule out any chance of a military coup.

“As of now, I hope Turkey will no longer speak of coups and will develop
its democracy,” Sezgin Tanrikulu, a parliamentarian from the opposition
Republican People’s Party, said.

  Erdogan takes further steps to take away Turkish military’s clout, Ismet Yilmaz, Justice and Development Party, Sezgin Tanrikulu