Üsküdar Üniversitesi and the Association of Defenders of Justice (ASDER) organized a panel on the 6th anniversary of the July 15 coup. Speaking at the panel, ASDER President Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan stated that to prevent coups, no justification should be given to those who seek them. Noting that injustice and polarization pave the way for coups, Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan said, “Where there is justice, trust is formed, and where there is trust, mischief does not arise. There have always been those who want to create mischief. Let's not comfort or deceive ourselves by attributing the July 15 issue to external causes.” Tarhan also pointed out that many mistakes were made by society, the administration, and decision-makers leading up to July 15, adding, “If we acknowledge these mistakes and learn from them, we can succeed in preventing new coups. It is essential to understand the mistakes well.”
In cooperation with Üsküdar Üniversitesi and the Association of Defenders of Justice (ASDER), a panel titled “How to Prevent Coups from a Soldier's Perspective?” was organized on the 6th anniversary of the July 15 coup attempt. The online panel was moderated by ASDER Secretary General, Retired Major Gürcan Onat.
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan: “A diagnosis regarding the coup must be made first”
ASDER President Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan began his speech by stating that they would write a prescription for preventing coups in the panel. Tarhan said, “It is very similar to writing a prescription for an illness. There isn't a clinical medical condition or any medical illness, but there is a social illness. In medicine, there is a 3T rule: diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up. If the diagnosis is correct but the treatment is wrong, the diagnosis is in vain. If the diagnosis and treatment are correct but the follow-up is not done properly, the efforts are still wasted. That's why it's important for these three Ts to be together. Here, we first need to diagnose the coup. In what environment does a coup occur? One of the important examples guiding the diagnosis is the September 12 coup, which was the biggest coup in Turkey after May 27.”
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan: “They leave people in need and ensure coups succeed”
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan stated that coup plotters employ a psychological warfare method, saying, “They intimidate people, make them dependent on them, and ensure that coups succeed. Because if a segment of society is against them, they cannot carry out a coup. We founded the Association of Defenders of Justice (ASDER) in 2000. In the association, 1,500 – 1,600 people who left the armed forces sought their legal rights. This is a civil society movement. There is also civil disobedience. Where there is civil disobedience, weapons have no effect. The Arab world could not produce a Gandhi. Because they could not, they failed to achieve results there by engaging in civil disobedience.”
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan: “Unexpressed needs find a way somehow”
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan pointed out that those who desire civil war or coups currently want to benefit by pitting society against each other and creating tension, continuing his words as follows:
“For coups to occur, an environment must first exist. If the environment is not created, the coup does not succeed. The biggest reason for the failure of the July 15 attempt was the absence of a sociological base for a coup. There was no economic justification. People were not struggling with hunger and poverty. There was no situation to object to in politics either. There were serious prejudices against coups among the public. On May 27, the pro-democracy public suffered a coup; on September 12, left-wing segments suffered a severe coup. On February 28, right-wing segments suffered a coup. It was as if no one was left untouched by militarism's coups. Subsequently, a reaction against coups emerged among the public. Such a psychological reason also lies behind the automatic civil reaction on July 15. There is a saying in psychology: Unexpressed needs find a way somehow. If a need for a coup arises, a way will certainly be found. However, if the system is functioning healthily, if the capable remain and the incapable leave, and if there is a system capable of such internal transformation, then they prefer to wait.”
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan: “No justification should be given to those who seek a coup”
Emphasizing that no justification should be given to those who seek a coup, Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan said, “If a child constantly rebels in a family, there is usually discrimination in that family. The mother, who is the leader of the family, favors one child, and the father favors the other. This is called vertical coalition. Two poles emerge, and this creates competition. Therefore, fair distribution cannot be spoken of. Where there is justice, trust is formed, and where there is trust, mischief does not arise. There have always been those who want to create mischief. Let's not comfort or deceive ourselves by attributing the July 15 issue to external causes. Humankind is a master of self-deception. Many mistakes were made by society, the administration, and decision-makers leading up to July 15. If we acknowledge these mistakes and learn from them, we can succeed in preventing new coups. It is essential to understand the mistakes well. If there is a vertical coalition in society, if those who govern society favor one group, discriminate, and the other group becomes victimized, they organize, become marginalized, radicalized, and after a while, if they cannot find another option, they take action.”
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan: “Polarizing the public paves the way for a coup”
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan, stating that there must be unity within for there to be unity abroad, said, “Someone who cannot achieve unity domestically cannot achieve unity abroad. You must provide peace domestically, and only then can peace be achieved externally. Currently, polarizing society and viewing a segment of society as enemies strongly prepares the psychological and sociological ground desired by a coup. After that, there will be no need to wonder why a coup happened. Society should not be driven into a ‘Let them come and save us’ psychology. It is necessary to uphold societal values and manage to distinguish them in this era.”
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan: “NATO cleared the Gladio, but we did not clear the Gladio in our country”
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan continued his words, stating that the coup should be evaluated from the perspective of the armed forces as well as society:
“In all NATO armies, they cleared the Gladio. We did not clear the Gladio. Even Luxembourg abolished Gladio when the Cold War ended. We did not dismantle Gladio; we understood that the FETÖ organization had established itself in its place. They subtly took Gladio's place. By taking control of special forces, they began to create a tremendous staffing structure within the armed forces. They seized control by disrupting the armed forces' immune system. The General Staff must also conduct self-criticism here. They should not take the easy way out by saying civilian authority prevented them. When such a situation is observed, one should not remain silent. The aide-de-camp of the Chief of General Staff turns out to be a member of the organization. This is negligence. Therefore, lessons must be learned from this. If lessons are not learned, we will continue to make new mistakes. If there are systems in society that do not comply with fairness, it is probable that new FETÖ organizations will emerge. Many traitors have emerged from this geography. Where there is self-interest, these people are always present.”
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan: “We need to make the correct diagnosis”
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan emphasized that if we do not see our own responsibility by saying everything is the work of a 'superior mind,' reality blindness will occur, and said, “It is said that the late Menderes appeared gentle, but during that period, he gave İnönü a 3-week penalty for not attending parliament. He provoked the opposing side tremendously. Even if they did not want to stage a coup, he compelled them as if it were the only option. He first demonized the opposition and then satanized them. Therefore, it is important for us to make the correct diagnosis here.”
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan: “Cadets who do not consider a coup as an option should be trained”
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan stated that in older times, democracy lessons were not given in military academies, and said, “Lessons glorifying democracy were never included. In fact, democracy was viewed as popular populism. They adopted an approach thinking that the people were a herd, did not understand, and that they themselves could best govern the people. This approach significantly influenced the coup mentality. If there is a coup ideology and conditions are favorable, there will always be those who want to stage a coup. It is necessary to train cadets who mentally do not consider a coup as an option.”
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan: “Pressure and threat feed their opposite”
Emphasizing that the highest level of democracy is complete obedience to civilians, Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan concluded his words as follows: “Sometimes objections are raised, but when I speak of democracy, some people ask why I defend a blasphemous system. I state that democracy is governance based on consent. Is governance based on consent closer to Islam, or is governance through pressure and tyranny closer to Islam? Of course, governance based on consent is closer to Islam. If we ask what the fundamental law of this era is, we say freedom of conscience, we say democracy. When this is not adhered to, prices are paid. It is important to make the correct diagnosis both within the armed forces and within society. It is also very important to maintain the balance of power and justice in society. If there is no power, being fair is not enough. If there is power but it is not fair, power cannot be sustained. This is a very delicate balance. People should not be made to feel that there is no other option than a coup. When we look at the life of Prophet Muhammad, we see that he applied methods of persuasion, convincing, and inspiring love. He did not encourage a culture of fear. Instead of a culture of fear, he created a culture of trust. Afterwards, a culture of fear emerged with the Umayyads. In environments dominated by fear, hypocrites multiply the most. Presenting fear as a form of governance has an inciting effect on coup plotters. There is a rule in psychology: pressure and threat feed their opposite. Traditionally, monarchical governance began during the Umayyad period.”
Retired Medical Colonel Hasan Hüseyin Uludağ: “The fate regarding coups will change”
ASDER Vice President and Ankara Branch President, Retired Medical Colonel Hasan Hüseyin Uludağ, provided information about the history of coups in the world and Turkey, addressing the 1960 coup, 1980 coup, February 28 process, and the events leading up to the July 15 coup. Uludağ, offering recommendations for preventing coups, stated that necessary measures should be taken in public administration regulations, legal regulations, the deployment and command of military units, and competent and effective intelligence. Noting that the fate regarding coups will now change, Hasan Hüseyin Uludağ said, “As ASDER, we will fight with all our might to prevent those who betray the state and the nation, to eradicate the coup-plotting tendency, and to ensure that coup plotters receive the punishment they deserve.”
In the panel, Retired Colonel Mustafa Hacımustafaoğulları, Retired Colonel Arif Çelenk, Retired Colonel Kemal Mete, Retired Colonel Lawyer N. Kemal Urhan, Retired Petty Officer Mehmet Kanmaz, Retired Petty Officer Faruk Altunbay, and Retired Petty Officer Necmettin Keleş also shared their testimonies of what they experienced on July 15. They also offered recommendations for preventing coups.