Political power of armed forces in Turkish political life

The army always had a central place in the Turkish state and society. Dominant discourse in Turkish security culture has traditionally focused on the protection of the state, and the principal mission of military has been to defend the state against external and internal enemies. The historical context of the modern Turkey is actually built over duty of the TAF to protecting the Republic of Turkey and its politically privileged role. The modernization project, besides its historical aspects, saw the army as the basic power that could mainly assume the secular character of the regime. After the May 27 military coup, which was the first military intervention, the army not only reached the top of its political power, but also the legal ground that would enable it to continue this political power with the arrangements made. Beginning with the May 27 coup, the military had took over the government at ten-year intervals, either by directly overthrowing legitimate governments directly or under the influence of politics through indirect ways such as the 1971 Memorandum or the February 28 decisions. Nevertheless, following each of these coups, the army had enhanced its strength through constitutional and legal changes that turned it into one of the most significant actors of Turkish political life. After the coup attempt on July 15, 2016, civilian control over the army was reinforced by regulations. With this study we have done, the political relations of the Republican era will be examined, and the military's power in these relationships will be scrutinized. Keywords; Turkey, Turkish Armed Forces, the Military Coup, Memorandum