Levent Kenez/Stockholm
On August 30, after the Turkish Military Academy’s graduation ceremony, which was attended by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, a group of newly commissioned officers privately recited the oath taken by officers the past, a tradition that has been excluded from the graduation program since 2016. Among them, a smaller group shouted the slogan, “We are the soldiers of Mustafa Kemal,” echoing a popular phrase among secularists in Turkey. Many interpreted this incident as a reaction within the military to Erdogan’s Islamist policies and has revived the longstanding notion that the military is the guardian of Turkey’s secular republic. However, this does not change the fact that Erdogan is rapidly Islamizing the military.
Before attending the ceremony, Erdogan inaugurated a new mosque able to accommodate 500 worshippers at the Turkish Military Academy.
Following the ceremony at the Air Force Academy on August 31, Erdogan expressed hope that the new mosque on the compound would be a blessing. “Last year, we inaugurated the mosque at the Naval Academy. Yesterday, we also opened the mosque at the Military Academy. Currently, we have seven mosque construction projects underway at other campuses of the National Defense University. We aim to complete these by the spring of 2025, God willing. The Heybeliada Naval Academy mosque is especially significant for us, as we are reconstructing this cherished structure, which had left no trace behind, in its original form. Today, with the opening of the Air Force Academy mosque, we are delighted to address one more shortcoming. I sincerely congratulate everyone involved and contributing to this effort, and I pray that the call to prayer [Azan] remains constant in our skies,” he said.
Until recently, these developments seemed unlikely; however, the significant purges carried out by the Erdogan government within the military following a controversial coup attempt in 2016 have made them possible.
However, Erdogan did not rely solely on purges to increase his influence within the military. The government also altered the procedures for selecting staff officers, which they considered a threat. A new examination system was introduced, allowing the government to determine who could become a staff officer.
Additionally, just 10 days after the coup attempt, the Erdogan government closed military schools due to their alleged involvement in the incident. The National Defense University was established by government decree on July 25, 2016 as a replacement.
This shift facilitated the recruitment of graduates from religious high schools (imam-hatip) into the military, a significant change from
previous practices. Erdogan, an imam-hatip graduate himself, expedited the integration of Islamist youths into the armed forces
Additionally, Erdogan established a partisan committee composed of retired military officers loyal to him to determine who could become military cadets. In 2021 the Ministry of Defense was forced to admit that members of SADAT, a paramilitary organization loyal to Erdogan, were serving on these selection committees.
SADAT provided profiling lists that included opponents of Erdogan within the military. The organization was also involved in the training and management of jihadist fighters under Turkish control in Syria. Additionally, it was revealed that SADAT facilitated the transport of jihadists from Syria to Libya in cooperation with Turkish intelligence.
A common method Erdogan uses to bring religious elements to the fore in the military is to present Ali Erbaş, head of the Religious Affairs Directorate (Diyanet), at official military ceremonies. Erbaş not only makes enthusiastic speeches but also blesses the army. When the opposition reacts to this situation because it is an anti-secular practice and the government is using religion for politics, ruling party elites claim that the opposition is not uncomfortable with the head of Religious Affairs but with the religion itself. This argument certainly has a lot of support from the party base.
Finally, on August 16, during the graduation ceremony for officers and noncommissioned officers at the Gendarmerie and Coast Guard Academy, Erbaş recited prayers for the students.
In the history of modern Turkey, the army has carried out bloody coups and forced politicians out of office. It’s no secret that Erdogan is trying to turn the military into a power that protects his regime. He expects his supporters to see the transformation of the army, which they used to describe as the “enemy of the religion.”
The private oath taken by the Military Academy graduates caused a shock among Erdogan’s supporters and is likely to be perceived as a sign of a potential, rigidly secular government in the post-Erdogan era. As a result it is possible that despite dissatisfaction with the current economic management, the government may continue to support Erdogan.
Meanwhile, Erdogan’s ultranationalist ally, Doğu Perinçek, chairman of the Homeland Party, claimed that even if the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) were to receive 90 percent of the vote, it would not be able to come to power due to the military’s refusal to allow it. “The people will not grant this authority. Even if people are deceived into voting for the CHP, and despite the worsening economy, the military will not consent to a change in government,” he said.
