The Conflict within Turkey’s Islamic Camp

GTE Commentary (Istituto Affari Internazionali) No. 20, November 2014, 3 p.

by Ömer Taşpınar *

Over the last 10 years Erdoğan’s chief accomplishment has been to establish the supremacy of civilian rule in Turkey. After 40 years in which the military ousted four governments, Turkish democracy no longer operates at gunpoint. Yet, the current rift between the AKP and the Gülen movement may lead to the return of the military tutelage system, as an embattled Erdoğan now seems increasingly willing to forge an unholy alliance with the Turkish army against the Gülen movement. It is no longer possible to rule out a scenario in which the generals would make their presence felt. They would probably do so not only by exploiting the division within the Islamic camp, but also by raising their voice on issues related to the Kurdish question in the country. This commentary explores the roots of the rift in Turkey’s Islamic camp and its implications for Turkey’s democracy.

Document prepared for the Istituto Affari Internazionali (IAI) in the context of the IAI-Istanbul Policy Center-Mercator Foundation project « Turkey, Europe and the World », November 2014.

* Ömer Taşpınar is a nonresident senior fellow at Brookings, a professor at the National War College and an adjunct professor at Johns Hopkins University’s School of Advanced International Studies.

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