1. The 1980 Military Coup

2. 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

3. 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

4. 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

5. 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

6. 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

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

8. 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

9. 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)

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

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

12. The 12 September Intervention
Diyarbakir and Mamak Prisons

13. 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

14. 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

15. 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

16. 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

17. 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