Abstract:

One of the issues discussed in the analysis of politics is the civil-military relationship. In many countries, the army, as a social class, can influence politics with the opportunities it has. When political realities and military ideals clash with each other, it is seen that this relationship turns into chaos. Therefore, controlling civil-military relations requires civil authorities to deal with many problems effectively. The concept of “objective civilian control” introduced by Samuel Huntington refers to a specific situation in which the authority of the army is limited in favor of civilians, the army is accountable to civilians, and the decisive role of civilians in public decision-making is strengthened. Turkey, which has a significant experience in civil-military relations, has undergone an important transformation in which civilian control is ensured with many constitutional and institutional changes. However, experience has shown that the 15 July coup attempt maintains the importance of civil-military relations in Turkey and military coups still pose a threat to the country. The study aims to discuss whether the new political situation established in Turkey after the coup attempt in July 2016 overlaps with Huntington's definition of “objective civilian control”.

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