The generals’s last stand

by Sean Cox August 3, 2011

written by Sean Cox August 3, 2011

The rift between Turkey’s Justice and Development Party (AKP) and the Turkish military reached a critical breaking point with the resignation of the military’s top command staff. The resignations of four of the country’s five top generals is perhaps the most poignant protest in Turkey’s history, with those stepping down including the chief of staff and the leading commanders of the Army, Navy and Air Force. For years, journalists and analysts have been concerned that the rising power of the AKP was a sign of increasing Islamic bent within a staunchly secular NATO ally. Throughout the history of the Turkish Republic, the military has been widely regarded as the defender of both secular and democratic civilian leadership, and in its history the military has unseated governments that pushed the bounds of their electoral mandates — whether secular or Islamist. However, since a coup in 1980 established a military regime and

military Turkey

Sean Cox

Sean Michael Cox, Ph.D. is the Director of Teaching and Learning, and Chair of Political Science and International Relations at Bay Atlantic University. For the past 15 years, he has also served in various roles within the university’s parent organization, the BAU Global Education Network, most recently as Director of Academic Affairs & International Programs. Dr. Cox is a political commentator appearing on global news networks such as TRT World and Al Jazeera, focusing on US politics and US foreign engagement. He has in the past worked with several different NATO-related organizations under the aegis of the Partnership for Peace Programme, and has spent extensive time in the Balkans and the Black Sea area. In addition to his work in academics, Dr. Cox is a project management specialist and consultant, having been administrative lead on a number of publicly-funded projects and programs in multiple countries. He earned his doctorate from the University of Delaware in Comparative Politics.

The generals’s last stand

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