U.S. Warns Turkey to Keep Military Out of Political Dispute ; Cites Army’s Vow to Keep Nation Secular

By CHRISTOPHER TORCHIA, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

ISTANBUL, Turkey The United States and European Union on Wednesday warned Turkey, a NATO member and close ally, to prevent its military from defying civilian leaders in a conflict between the Islamic-rooted government and the secular establishment.

Fears of a coup have ebbed with the prospect of early general elections, but the military’s threat to intervene in the showdown and stamp out any sign of political Islam has confirmed its role as a key player in Turkish politics.

Many Turks had believed the military, which seized power from civilian governments three times in past decades, was inexorably withdrawing from the political arena as Turkey pursued EU-backed reforms and its economy accelerated after a financial crisis.

But Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s decision to back the candidacy of one of his closest allies as president underestimated the backlash. At the heart of the conflict was a fear that the ruling party would use control of Parliament and the presidency to chip away at the separation of state and religion, and curb secular freedoms such as women’s rights.

Erdogan’s party called for new elections Wednesday after the secular opposition last week boycotted a parliamentary vote on Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul’s candidacy and was backed by the Constitutional Court, a secular body that invalidated the ballot because a quorum was not present.

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice joined the EU in warning the Turkish military, which is fiercely devoted to the secular ideals of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, an army officer who founded the modern republic.

“The United States fully supports Turkish democracy and its constitutional processes, and that means that the election, the electoral system and the results of the electoral system and the results of the constitutional process have to be upheld,” she said.

U.S. Ambassador Ross Wilson has been meeting with Turkish officials and urging that constitutional procedures be followed.

EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn said Turkey must abide by the rule of law and civilian control over the military, warning that if the government wants to join the EU “it needs to respect these principles.”

The military declared Friday that it was a champion of secularism and would display its “attitudes” if necessary. In the view of some analysts, the ominous statement turned back the clock a decade or more to a time when politicians could scarcely afford to ignore the political views of the army brass.

It is hard to gauge whether the military statement influenced the court decision to cancel the presidential vote. But the judges were likely deliberating with the knowledge that a ruling in favor of the Islamic-leaning candidate would ratchet up tension and increase the possibility of more overt action by the military.

The military appears willing to preserve secularism even if it means risking the ire of its European partners. Besides, many Turks doubt the EU is serious about admitting them. Army officers have cited the 1979 Islamic Revolution in Iran as a scenario they want to avoid, even if the possibility seems remote in Turkey.

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