The Turkish military exceptionalism and the 1924 Constitution

Abstract

The paper discusses the Turkish military exceptionalism against the backdrop of the 1924 Constitution. The Constitution enshrines the regime change that followed the First World War, to whose establishment the military has significantly contributed, mainly through Mustafa Kemal Atatürk and İsmet İnönü. At the same time, the new regime favours a separation between the military and the civil sphere. Nevertheless, the prestige enjoyed by the military together with its own perception of being the guardian of the Kemalist legacy have made a clear-cut separation impossible. Indeed, the military has been involved in politics following the socalled guardian model. Moreover, as Kemal himself outlined, opposite to what generally happens, the Turkish military has been a progressive force, advocating development and modernisation. Furthermore, if we compare the Turkish experience with the ones of the other former Central Powers during the 1920s and 1930s, the distinctiveness of the Turkish military is even more striking. These distinctive traits make up the Turkish military exceptionalism.