The 1980 Military Coup

Reasons of the Military Coup Economic Crisis Weaknesses of the Turkish ISI Experience Lack of Export-Orient Extreme Dependency on Foreign Exchange Declining Remittances Strong popular sector Trade Unions and Strikes Inability of the elected to implement efficient solutions 24 January 1980 decisions

24 January 1980 decisions Devaluation of TL End of subsidies on goods produced by SEEs Reform SEEs Limits on state expenditure Incentives for FDI Cuts in agricultural subsidies Reductions in workers’ wages

Reasons of the Military Coup Political polarization and the violence in the streets Legitimacy crisis in the parliament Inability to solve problems Inability to elect the new president Increasing Kurdish separatism

The 12 September Intervention Led by Kenan Evren and power commanders of the Army The goal is to crush the left and the right alike Aimed a wholesale transformation of the system Immediate actions of the NSC

After the Intervention Martial Law was declared Dissolution of GNA and the parties Immunity of the deputies was lifted Political leaders were taken into custody Parties were closed All workers’ strikes were banned and workers’ unions were banned Widespread arrests -torture

After the Intervention Censorship on Media Mayor and city council were disbanded All professional and cultural organizations were disbanded

The 12 September Intervention Little resistance from the society against the coup 14 September: Evren was declared as the head of the state Appointment of Bulent Ulusu (retired admiral) as the PM Real decision-making body: NSC Army commanders effectively taking control of local administration and pressure on media and universities

The 12 September Intervention Depoliticization of the society and the will to eradicate the legacy of old politicians Banning public discussion of politics Confiscation of assets of political parties Destroying parties’ archives Arrest of 11,500 people in 6 weeks (122,600 people in a year)

Violence 650.000 were arrested More than 1.600.000 were blacklisted 14.000 denationalized 171 prisoners died because of the heavy torture

The 12 September Intervention Erdal Eren: executed in his 17. Arrested by the police

The 12 September Intervention Diyarbakir and Mamak Prisons

The 1982 Constitution Reversal of the 1961 constitution Abolition of the Senate A new election system (PR with threshold) Autonomy of universities and the media were curbed (YOK) Powers of the president and the NSC were increased Establishment of DGMs A ban on the Kurdish language

The 1982 Constitution An approval rate of 91.4% (referandum on 7 November 1982) Quite high. Why? Tying the presidency of Evren and the approval of the constitution Ban on any propaganda against the constitution or discussion of it Active propaganda of the NSC for a “Yes” vote

Economy Implementation of January 24 program becoming possible only with the coup Receiving 5 funds from the WB right after the coup Military appointing Ozal (father of 24 January Decisions) as the deputy prime-minister of Bulent Ulusu Immediate goals of Ozal: improving exports; controlling inflation; liberalization of interest rates (resulting with Bankers Crisis of 1982); and ending the shortages of goods

Turkish-Islam Synthesis A cure for political polarization (being held responsible for political instability) A synthesis of Turkish nationalism with Islam Aims: De-politicization of the society Decreasing the power of the left Increasing cohesion among different elements of the society Evren quoting from the Quran and the Prophet Increased number of Imam-Hatips Compulsory religious courses in secondary and high schools

The Role of Military in Turkey The legacy of the Ottoman Empire The traditional askeri-reaya difference Placing the Army above the society A self appointed role in the Republic: Guardians of Kemalism and of the Republican regime Using the NSC as an instrument to affect policy making Claiming moral superiority over the politicians and the society Establishment of OYAK in 1961