Guardians of the regime: The military as an aspect of continuity in Turkish political life

This thesis study examines the effects of the theory of the 'protectors' class mentioned in Plato's State. It assesses the scope of the 'natural guardian' role of the Turkish military. Since the army considers itself as a natural element of the state's administration, it assumes that it has a say in politics. Within the framework of this theory, the influence of the "natural guardian" role of the military on Turkish politics will be examined. This thesis is made of five main parts. The first is the introduction, which also includes the theoretical background. In the second part, historical perspectives on the military are analyzed by paying particular attention to the role of the "guardians." In the third part, the military interventions in the Late Ottoman period will be examined within the framework of the same role. In the fourth part, the interventions in the Republican period will be evaluated. Furthermore, lastly, but not least, the commitment to the primary mission in realizing military coups will be examined in the same chapter. Finally, in the conclusion part, the four parts of our thesis will be evaluated and finalized. Accordingly, the purpose of the thesis is to analyze the Turkish military's interventions in politics within the framework of the guardian role attributed to the soldiers by Plato.