Turkey’s reset button
I see a piece in Captain’s Quarters about the upcoming election in Turkey.
Turkey has reached a crisis over radical Islam, as their recent elections have created a precarious position for the tradtionally secular democracy. Abdullah Gul, the candidate for the leading party, will become Turkey’s next president despite his history of supporting Islamists. The army has announced its intention to defend secularism, a most decidedly blunt warning to the Parliament not to elect Gul. The situation looks ripe for a civil war or a coup d’etat.
Turkey has what Jerry Pournelle calls a “reset button” in their government. As long as the state remains secular, the military stays out of the way. If it becomes Islamic, the military sweeps in, removes the Islamic government from
power, and then heads back to their barracks while the people vote in a secular government.
This time, the threat may be enough, at least partly because everyone knows the threat will be carried out, if necessary.
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