Some seem to have forgotten what it was like to be under a military regime. Sept. 12 was marked by lawlessness and arbitrary rule. It was an assault on democracy and a catastrophe for civil and political rights.
Let’s take a look back. The generals dissolved Parliament and government and banned all political activities with their first “communiqué.” The leaders of four major political parties -- Süleyman Demirel, Bülent Ecevit, Necmettin Erbakan and Alpaslan Türkes -- were arrested. Martial law was declared over the whole country, and the martial law authorities were empowered to censor the press and appoint or dismiss civil servants. Two trade unions, the Confederation of Revolutionary Workers’ Unions (DİSK) and Confederation of Nationalist Workers’ Unions (MİSK) were closed down, and their leaders were arrested. The National Security Council (MGK), composed of five members of the junta, became the sole rule-making body with no authority or law above it.
All mayors and members of city councils were removed from their offices. The first two executions since 1972 were carried out immediately after the coup in October. By the end of the military regime, the number of executions reached 49. Right after the military takeover, a big hunt was launched for suspects and political activists -- 600,000 were detained; some 230,000 were tried, out of which 517 were sentenced to death and 50 were executed. The detention period without trial was officially extended to 90 days, but thousands were not brought to trial after exceeding that period. Around 400,000 people were denied passports, 14,000 were stripped of citizenship, hundreds died from torture and thousands were fired from public jobs, including from universities.
All lock-outs and strikes were declared illegal and freedom of the press was violated with many newspapers being banned indefinitely and journalists imprisoned. Mass trials were held to prosecute trade unionists, political party members, and others, with a shocking 7,000 decisions for the death penalty.
After being held in detention for a month, Ecevit and Demirel, the leaders of the Republican People’s Party (CHP) and the Justice Party (AP), respectively, were released on the condition that they would refrain from political activities and statements. The other political leaders Erbakan and Türkes were charged with actions against the Constitution, the very Constitution that was wrecked by the military itself. Erbakan spent around a year in prison while Türkes spent five years.
To silence any political opposition, the junta issued a decree in June 1981 banning the release or publication of any political statement from former politicians and making any criticism of the ruling military regime illegal. So it was effectively forbidden to speak about politics or public affairs. Towards the end of 1981, the military formally closed down all political parties including the one established by Atatürk, the CHP. Former premier and then leader of the CHP Ecevit was given a prison sentence of four months for his political comments, contravening the MGK decree of June in his newly established weekly Arayış, which was shut down in March 1982. Ecevit was also tried and sentenced to three months for interviews he gave to the foreign press.
Are all of these actions acceptable, tolerable, desirable or bearable today? Only torturers and executioners would want another military regime in this country. A democratic regime is the key to having a decent and honorable life, so it is necessary that we nurture democracy and work hard to strengthen it. Yet in a country in which the leader of the main opposition party -- which also claims to be a social democrat one -- declares that democracy is threatening the republic, we still have a long way to go.
13.09.2007
Let’s take a look back. The generals dissolved Parliament and government and banned all political activities with their first “communiqué.” The leaders of four major political parties -- Süleyman Demirel, Bülent Ecevit, Necmettin Erbakan and Alpaslan Türkes -- were arrested. Martial law was declared over the whole country, and the martial law authorities were empowered to censor the press and appoint or dismiss civil servants. Two trade unions, the Confederation of Revolutionary Workers’ Unions (DİSK) and Confederation of Nationalist Workers’ Unions (MİSK) were closed down, and their leaders were arrested. The National Security Council (MGK), composed of five members of the junta, became the sole rule-making body with no authority or law above it.
All mayors and members of city councils were removed from their offices. The first two executions since 1972 were carried out immediately after the coup in October. By the end of the military regime, the number of executions reached 49. Right after the military takeover, a big hunt was launched for suspects and political activists -- 600,000 were detained; some 230,000 were tried, out of which 517 were sentenced to death and 50 were executed. The detention period without trial was officially extended to 90 days, but thousands were not brought to trial after exceeding that period. Around 400,000 people were denied passports, 14,000 were stripped of citizenship, hundreds died from torture and thousands were fired from public jobs, including from universities.
All lock-outs and strikes were declared illegal and freedom of the press was violated with many newspapers being banned indefinitely and journalists imprisoned. Mass trials were held to prosecute trade unionists, political party members, and others, with a shocking 7,000 decisions for the death penalty.
After being held in detention for a month, Ecevit and Demirel, the leaders of the Republican People’s Party (CHP) and the Justice Party (AP), respectively, were released on the condition that they would refrain from political activities and statements. The other political leaders Erbakan and Türkes were charged with actions against the Constitution, the very Constitution that was wrecked by the military itself. Erbakan spent around a year in prison while Türkes spent five years.
To silence any political opposition, the junta issued a decree in June 1981 banning the release or publication of any political statement from former politicians and making any criticism of the ruling military regime illegal. So it was effectively forbidden to speak about politics or public affairs. Towards the end of 1981, the military formally closed down all political parties including the one established by Atatürk, the CHP. Former premier and then leader of the CHP Ecevit was given a prison sentence of four months for his political comments, contravening the MGK decree of June in his newly established weekly Arayış, which was shut down in March 1982. Ecevit was also tried and sentenced to three months for interviews he gave to the foreign press.
Are all of these actions acceptable, tolerable, desirable or bearable today? Only torturers and executioners would want another military regime in this country. A democratic regime is the key to having a decent and honorable life, so it is necessary that we nurture democracy and work hard to strengthen it. Yet in a country in which the leader of the main opposition party -- which also claims to be a social democrat one -- declares that democracy is threatening the republic, we still have a long way to go.
13.09.2007
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