Atatürk Secularism and Democracy Award of 1997
By M.Orhan Tarhan
On November 25, 1997 the Atatürk Society of America bestowed its 1997 Atatürk Secularism and Democracy Award on the Turkish General Staff. General Cevik Bir, Deputy Chief of General Staff, accepted the award in a historical ceremony at the former Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Washington, DC. The event was repeatedly broadcast by TV, both in Turkey and in Europe

Why did the Atatürk Society of America give such an unprecedented award to the Turkish General Staff? The reason given in the award presentation speech was, "For saving both secularism and democracy in Turkey, without ever straying out of the confines of the constitution." That was the diplomatic language for saying that the General Staff had forced the Islamist-led coalition government to abide by the constitution and to resign, when the coalition refused. The Military did that without making a coup, unlike its predecessors in 1960, 1971, and 1980. It simply raised its voice at the National Security Council (NSC) meeting and invited the government to abide by the constitution. The government agreed but then dragged its feet.

The General Staff insisted until either the constitution was implemented or the foot draggers would resign. That was perfectly constitutional.

During all this time the Western press and media complained that the Turkish Military was "meddling in politics," that the military in advanced democracies did not do that. They were absolutely correct in saying that in Western democracies the military stays out of politics, but they did not ask themselves why. The reason is of course very simple: Western militaries DON'T HAVE TO meddle in politics. And why don't they have to?

Because the Western politicians generally abide by their constitutions, because their presidents preside, their loyal oppositions oppose, no one permits constitutional trespasses to continue unchallenged, and they generally do their job of representing the people who elect them right. Thus, their system works. That is why no one outside the political system needs to interfere.

In contrast, during the last 47 years, the Turkish political structure has tolerated many trespasses of the constitution by allowing Islamist-based parties to be formed, and even cooperated with them, in spite of the clear contradictions between the goals of these Islamist parties and the principles of secularism and democracy enshrined in the constitution of the Republic of Turkey. This tolerance was not limited just to the center-right parties, but included the entire political spectrum, even the social democrats. It is beyond me, how a politician may take an oat (on his HONOR) to abide by the principles and reforms of Atatürk and then fail to challenge the admission of clearly and avowedly anti-secular members into the parliament! Thus, over time, such constitutional trespasses accumulated without firm objection, in law or policy, until an Islamist party was brought to power last year, just like a Trojan horse, in coalition with a center-right party. The Islamist coalition government began to implement its own agenda of reversing the 74 year-old institutions of secularism and democracy and returning Turkey to the 7th Century. The politicians representing the secular majority -- 80 % of the citizenry --displayed an abject impotence and watched the country drift into an Islamic republic.

In February, in meetings of the NSC, it was the General Staff that insisted on the reversal of those Islamist programs which violated the principle of secularism. In Turkey, that is a responsibility given the Military by the constitution. The Islamist government would rather resign for not having to reverse its own Islamist agenda. Today Turkey enjoys once again a secular coalition government. We owe that to the General Staff. That is why the Atatürk Society of America bestowed its first "Atatürk Secularism and Democracy Award" to the General Staff of the Turkish Republic.

There are three messages in this award. The first one is obviously a deep gratitude to the Turkish Military for saving it from becoming a backward Islamic republic.

The second message is to the Western press and media, who have been barking up the wrong tree by criticizing the Turkish military for attempting to correct the failure of the Turkish political system. The real culprits were the politicians who brought the country to the edge of the cliff, not the military who saved it from falling in there.

Finally, the third message (Whether the Atatürk Society of America has intended it or not) is to the present Turkish political system that failed so miserably and ignominiously, that the military had to save it from self-destruction. There is no reason why the same situation may not happen again in a few years, if basic corrections are not made in the political system. This award should be an S.O.S. call for the politicians. The philosopher Santayana said that, "Those who do not learn from history are condemned to relive it."

The most important thing that needs changing is the election system. There are no primaries in Turkey and voters elect parties instead of people. Party bosses make a list of their own supporters for each province. Depending on how many seats are won by a party in that province, a certain number of people from the top of the list become "Peoples' Representatives." In their own districts, party bosses place their own names on top of the list and are almost automatically elected. In such a system, the "peoples' representative" owes nothing to the people, but everything to the party boss who put his name on the list. Thus there is no bond between the voter and his representative. That is why parties have turned into entities that exist for their own sakes and can't be controlled by the voters. That is not much of a democracy. The solution is the legislation of primaries in so-called "narrow districts" that would establish an indispensable democratic bond between the voter and his representative in the parliament.

The introduction of primaries will change the entire atmosphere of Turkish politics, when suddenly Peoples' representatives will begin to work for the voters instead of the party bosses. Turkey will be a real democracy.

There is a Turkish folksy expression: "I am telling to you, my daughter, but it is you, my daughter-in-law, for whom my message is intended." The award given to the Turkish General Staff has that type of message.