6]16]13 What's ReaIIy 8ehInd Turkey's Coup ArrestsZ { ForeIgn PoIIcy

1]4 www.IoreIgnpoIIcy.com]artIcIes]2010]02]25]whats_reaIIy_behInd_turkeys_coup_arrestsZprInt=yes.
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What's ReaIIy Behind Turkey's Coup Arrests?
All signs point to Fethullah Glen, whose shadowy slamist movement is rapidly extending its tentacles into all
aspects of Turkish political life.
BY SONER CAGAPTAY | FEBRUARY 25, 2010
or LIe IusL severuI decudes, LIe TurkIsI mIIILury wus unLoucIubIe; no one dured Lo crILIcIze LIe mIIILury or ILs Lop generuIs,
IesL LIey rIsk geLLIng burned. TIe TurkIsI Armed orces were LIe uILImuLe proLecLors oI IoundIng IuLIer KemuI ALuLurk's
secuIur Iegucy, und no oLIer Iorce In LIe counLry couId serIousIy LIreuLen ILs supremucy. NoL unymore.
On eb. zz, qq oIIIcers -- IncIudIng ucLIve-duLy generuIs, udmIruIs, und Iormer communders oI LIe TurkIsI nuvy und uIr
Iorce -- were urresLed on uIIeguLIons oI pIoLLIng u coup uguInsL LIe governmenL. SpecIIIcuIIy, LIe oIIIcers were cIurged wILI
uuLIorIng u ,ooo-puge memo LIuL wus IuLer pubIIsIed In 7DUDI, u puper wIose edILorIuI poIIcy Is sInguIurIy dedIcuLed Lo
busIIng LIe mIIILury. Among oLIer LIIngs, LIe memo sLuLed LIuL LIe TurkIsI mIIILury wus pIunnIng Lo bomb sLunbuI's
IIsLorIc mosques und sIooL down ILs own pIunes Lo jusLIIy u coup. WIen usked u Iormer U.S. umbussudor Lo Turkey Ior
IIs vIews on LIe news, Ie LIougIL LIe scenurIo wus rIdIcuIous. "I LIe TurkIsI mIIILury wus goIng Lo do u coup, LIey wouId
noL be wrILIng u ,ooo-puge memo ubouL IL," Ie sLuLed.
TIree duys IuLer, LIe Iormer communders oI LIe nuvy und uIr Iorce were reIeused -- IurLIer prooI LIuL LIe governmenL's
InLenLIon wus Lo InLImIduLe Turkey's mIIILury, ruLIer LIun proceed wILI un IndIcLmenL uguInsL LIese IIgI-runkIng oIIIcIuIs.
TIe urresLs IoIIowed u eb. 1q IncIdenL In wIIcI un uudIo recordIng oI Turkey's cIIeI oI sLuII wus pubIIsIed In 9DNLW, u smuII
jIIudI sIumIsL newspuper LIuL Ius ceIebruLed LIe kIIIIng oI U.S. soIdIers In AIgIunIsLun. n Turkey, IL Is IIIeguI Lo wIreLup
IndIvIduuIs wILIouL u courL order, und IL Is uIso IIIeguI Lo pubIIsI sucI wIreLups. However, no one Ius been prosecuLed Ior
LIIs wIreLup uguInsL LIe cIIeI oI sLuII -- u sIgn LIuL LIe buIunce oI power In Turkey Ius sIIILed decIsIveIy.
A mounLuIn Ius moved In TurkIsI poIILIcs. AII sIoLs uguInsL LIe mIIILury ure now IuIr gume, IncIudIng LIose beIow LIe beIL.
TIe Iorce beIInd LIIs drumuLIc cIunge Is LIe eLIuIIuI GIen MovemenL (GH), un uILruconservuLIve poIILIcuI IucLIon LIuL
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6]16]13 What's ReaIIy 8ehInd Turkey's Coup ArrestsZ { ForeIgn PoIIcy
2]4 www.IoreIgnpoIIcy.com]artIcIes]2010]02]25]whats_reaIIy_behInd_turkeys_coup_arrestsZprInt=yes.
bucks LIe ruIIng JusLIce und DeveIopmenL PurLy (AKP). TIe GH wus Iounded In LIe 1q;os by eLIuIIuI GIen, u
cIurIsmuLIc preucIer wIo now IIves In LIe UnILed SLuLesbuL remuIns popuIur In Turkey. L Is u conservuLIve movemenL
uImIng Lo resIupe secuIur Turkey In ILs own Imuge, by securIng LIe supremucy oI GIen's versIon oI reIIgIon over poIILIcs,
governmenL, educuLIon, medIu, busIness, und pubIIc und personuI IIIe.
To some, IL mIgIL uppeur LIuL LIe newIound Ireedom Lo crILIcIze LIe mIIILury proves LIuL Turkey Is becomIng u more IIberuI
democrucy. BuL LIe LruLI Is LIuL Turkey Ius repIuced one "unLoucIubIe" orgunIzuLIon Ior unoLIer, more dungerous, one.
CrILIcIzIng LIe GIen movemenL, wIIcI conLroIs LIe nuLIonuI poIIce und ILs powerIuI domesLIc InLeIIIgence bruncI, und
wIIcI exerLs IncreusIng InIIuence In LIe judIcIury, Ius become us Luboo us ussuIIIng LIe mIIILury once wus. Toduy, IL Is LIose
wIo crILIcIze LIe GIen movemenL wIo geL burned.
OI course, coup uIIeguLIons ure serIous muLLers LIuL wurrunL ImmedIuLe ucLIon. However, LIese uIIeguLIons ure purL oI LIe
Ergenekon cuse -- u convoIuLed InvesLIguLIon LIuL so Iur Ius produced noLIIng In LIe IusL LIree yeurs buL u record-seLLIng
,8oo-puge IndIcLmenL, Iundreds oI eurIy-mornIng Iouse ruIds, und LIe deLenLIon oI muny promInenL Turks, IncIudIng
unIversILy presIdenLs und promInenL educuLors sucI us KemuI Guruz und 0HKPHW+DEHUDO. TIe onIy quuIILy LIuL LIes
LogeLIer uII oI LIose urresLed Is LIeIr opposILIon Lo LIe AKP governmenL und LIe GIen movemenL. ZekerIyu Oz, LIe cIIeI
prosecuLor IeudIng LIe Ergenekon cuse, und Rumuzun Akyurek, LIe Ieud oI LIe poIIce's domesLIc InLeIIIgence bruncI, us
weII us oLIer powerIuI peopIe In LIe poIIce, ure LIougIL by some Lo be GIen sympuLIIzers.
AILIougI some oI LIe peopIe InLerroguLed und urresLed mIgIL Iuve been InvoIved In crImInuI wrongdoIng, mosL uppeur Lo
be InnocenL. Tuke, Ior InsLunce, 7XUNDQ6D\ODQ, u ;-yeur-oId grundmoLIer wIo wus undergoIng cIemoLIerupy. SuyIun
run un NGO provIdIng IIberuI urLs educuLIon scIoIursIIps Lo poor gIrIs In eusLern Turkey, un ureu wIere GIen's neLwork
runs muny compeLIng orgunIzuLIons. SIe wus InLerroguLed by LIe TurkIsI poIIce Ior uIIegedIy pIoLLIng u coup Irom Ier deuLI
bed, und pussed uwuy onIy Iour weeks IuLer.
Muny oLIers Iuve IunguIsIed In juII, or even dIed, wILIouL seeIng un IndIcLmenL. TIe GIen-conLroIIed purLs oI LIe judIcIury
und poIIce Iuve uIso wIeIded IIIeguI wIreLups uguInsL LIose enLungIed In LIe Ergenekon cuse, IeukIng InLImuLe deLuIIs oI LIeIr
prIvuLe IIves, sucI us murILuI InIIdeIILy, Lo pro-AKP und pro-GIen medIu In order Lo dumuge LIeIr repuLuLIons.
IIeguI wIreLups und urbILrury urresLs serve Lo InLImIduLe LIe pubIIc, noL prosecuLe crImInuIs. Becuuse oI Ergenekon, Turks
wIo oppose LIe AKP und LIe GIen movemenL Ieur Lo speuk LIeIr mInds IreeIy. I you Iuve doubLs, cuII u IrIend In Turkey
und usk Ior un opInIon oI LIe cuse. Your IrIend wIII respond wILI deLuIIs oI LIe weuLIer.
TIe mIIILury, wIIcI opposes LIe AKP und LIe GIenIsLs becuuse IL sees ILseII us LIe vIrLuuI guurdIun oI Turkey's secuIur
poIILy u Iu ALuLurk's vIsIon, servIng us u buIwurk uguInsL reIIgIon's domInuLIon over poIILIcs und governmenL, Ius become
LIe prImury LurgeL oI LIIs round oI poIILIcuIIy moLIvuLed urresLs. IIeguIIy obLuIned documenLs, IncIudIng conIIdenLIuI und
someLImes emburrussIng medIcuI records oI Iour-sLur generuIs, were pubIIsIed openIy In GIenIsL medIu. AILIougI LIe
cIIeI oI sLuII suId LIe documenLs were docLored, LIey were recenLIy used us evIdence, wILI LIe supporL oI unonymous
wILnesses, Lo urresL servIng generuIs und udmIruIs.
TIe rooLs oI LIe GIen movemenL's vendeLLu uguInsL LIe urmy run deep. oIIowIng LIe puLLern oI LIe evungeIIcuI movemenL
In LIe UnILed SLuLes, LIe GH grew drumuLIcuIIy In LIe 1q8os. GIen espoused u MucIIuveIIIun upproucI Lo democrucy,
suyIng Lo IIs IoIIowers In u messuge broudcusL on TurkIsI TV In 1qqq LIuL "every meLIod und puLI Is uccepLubIe |IncIudIng|
IyIng Lo peopIe." n LIe 1qqos, LIe movemenL guIned poIILIcuI power by LIrowIng ILs weIgIL beIInd vurIous governmenLs,
wIIcI In reLurn uppoInLed GH members Lo promInenL posILIons In LIe bureuucrucy, IncIudIng LIe poIIce und LIe
InLeIIIgence bruncI.
n LIe IuLe 1qqos, GIen wenL Ieud-Lo-Ieud wILI Turkey's mIIILury -- und IosL. TIe cIusI beLween LIe sIumIsL WeIIure PurLy
(RP) governmenL und LIe mIIILury wus uL LIe cenLer oI LIIs conIIIcL. n 1qq;, LIe TurkIsI mIIILury orcIesLruLed u pubIIc
6]16]13 What's ReaIIy 8ehInd Turkey's Coup ArrestsZ { ForeIgn PoIIcy
3]4 www.IoreIgnpoIIcy.com]artIcIes]2010]02]25]whats_reaIIy_behInd_turkeys_coup_arrestsZprInt=yes.
cumpuIgn uguInsL LIe RP. WILI pressure mounLIng uguInsL ILs ruIe, LIe RP governmenL sLepped down. As u resuIL, members
oI sIumIsL movemenLs, IncIudIng LIose beIongIng Lo LIe GH, were purged Irom LIeIr posLs In LIe bureuucrucy und LIe
mIIILury.
WIen LIe TurkIsI courLs cIurged GIen wILI unLI-secuIur poIILIcuI ucLIvILIes In 1qqq, Ie IIed Lo u ruruI compound In
PennsyIvunIu. AILIougI Ie wus IuLer ucquILLed, GIen Ius never reLurned Lo Turkey.
TIe GH Ius reLurned, Iowever, wILI u vengeunce. WIen LIe AKP, wIIcI Is IurgeIy u reIncurnuLIon oI LIe bunned RP, cume
Lo power In zooz, LIe GH posILIoned ILs medIu, voLer, und busIness Iobby supporL beIInd LIe governIng purLy. n reLurn,
LIe AKP uppoInLed GH members Lo promInenL posILIons In LIe judIcIury und LIe bureuucrucy, IncIudIng LIe poIIce's
InLeIIIgence bruncI.
WILI LIe GIen movemenL In conLroI oI Iurge porLIons oI LIe governmenL uppuruLus und runnIng u poIILIcuI wILcI IunL
uguInsL ILs opponenLs LIrougI LIe Ergenekon cuse, Turkey Is LukIng u dungerousIy uuLIorILurIun Lurn. A personuI IrIend und
poIILIcIun Irom LIe Iormer SovIeL UnIon once suId, "A poIIce sLuLe emerges noL wIen LIe poIIce IIsLen Lo uII LIe cILIzens, buL
wIen uII LIe cILIzens Ieur LIuL LIey ure beIng IIsLened Lo." WeIcome Lo LIe new Turkey: I you IIsLen cureIuIIy, you cun Ieur
LIe poIILIcuI ground sIIILIng beIow your IeeL.

Correction: The oriincl tersion oj this crticle stcted thct cn cudio recordin oj Turle's chiej oj stcjj "ucs lecled to" the
neuspcper Vclit. It ucs, in jcct, uplocded to the Internet, cnd Vclit ucs one oj the jirst publicctions to publish it.
The crticle clso stcted thct c Turlish court chcred Mr. Gulen uith corruption cnd cnti-seculcr politiccl cctitities. In jcct,
he ucs not chcred uith corruption, onl uith cttemptin to undermine the seculcr reime. Iincll, the crticle clso stcted
thct the Weljcre Pcrt "ucs supported b the IHG", the relctionship betueen Mr. Gulen cnd Prime Minister Erbclcn, the
lecder oj the Weljcre Pcrt, is in reclit more jrcuht. The tuo hcte historiccll represented sepcrcte pcrts oj the Islcmic
currents uithin Turle.
Save big when you subscribe to FP
SEZAY ERKEN/AFP/Getty mages

Soner Cagaptay is a senior fellow and director of the Turkish Research Program at
the Washington Institute for Near East Policy and author of IsIam, SecuIarism,
and NationaIism in Modern Turkey: Who Is a Turk?.
(276)

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