Saturday, July 13, 2013

Turkey Parliament Curtails Army Powers


BBC: Turkey's parliament has amended the code governing the armed forces, curtailing their political influence.

The original rules gave the military responsibility of preserving the Republic of Turkey, a clause previously used as a justification for coups.

It now says the army's main duty is to protect the nation from foreign threat.

The military has long regarded itself as the protector of Turkey's secular tradition and has staged three coups between 1960 and 1980.

But it has a history of tension with the Islamist-rooted Justice and Development Party (AKP) of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. » | Saturday, July 13, 2013