I'm not sure if I may ask this, in case it isn't allowed this topic probably will disappear or get locked. I try.

In the news here there are many speculations about the elections for the president. The news said that the army 'threatened' to take over.

That's not want I want to know. What I'm curious about is what are the (visible) consequences for 'the man in the street' if that may happen. I mean, it happened before, didn't it? Last time in 1996 if I remember correct. What did YOU experience? Or was life just as usual?

Good topic! I'd like to know as well because I'll most likely be living there if/when it will happen. But I can't imgine it's very pleasant.

I was given this link earlier today: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6603377.stm there are other related articles under "see also" as well

Ohhh,i see it has been asked in another way,and hasn't been answered !

Well, is it Democratic then ?

Shouldn't army be only observer of what people want,not to take part to any side ?!

Besides in Turkiye president of Republic always selected by compromising till today, only one party insist to select others leave the TBMM...

Are you saying that elections are fixed?

I think it would be a great idea to make a poll and see how many percent of the population support the armys right to intervene at any time they wish to.

So,.......... is the reason that the army is taking over,and throwing what people want to the sea by saying ''take care,im watching you dont pick what i dont like or else...!''

Ok,what is the reason ?

US urges Turkey to heed constitution, democracy
The United States called on Saturday for Turkey's constitution to be respected but stopped short of criticizing a statement by the military that voiced concern at the conduct of a presidential election. "We hope and expect that the Turks will work out these political issues in their own way, in a way that's consistent with their secular democracy and constitutional provisions," US Assistant Secretary of State Dan Fried told Reuters.

Asked whether he would criticize the statement, Fried said in an interview on the sidelines of a Brussels Forum on transatlantic relations: "We don't take sides. I can't think of any way I could answer that question explicitly that would do any good," he said when pressed to say if the military statement was appropriate.
He noted that the opposition Republican People's Party had referred the election to the constitutional court, arguing that a quorum was not present in parliament for Friday's first round of voting. Fried said the United States was ill placed to comment since its own Supreme Court had resolved the outcome of the 2000 presidential election after disputes over the validity of votes in Florida. He said the United States had worked well with the AK Party government and Gül as foreign minister.

Asked whether he heard echoes of past military interventions to oust democratic governments in the strategically important NATO ally, he said: "I don't see that Turkey is about to revert to a previous condition from the 70s and the 80s. Turkish democracy has deepened a great deal in the last few years."

Turkish civilians condemn military declaration
A large number of representatives from human rights groups, civil society organizations, media members, trade unions and academia on Saturday condemned the General Staff declaration and urged the military to stay out of politics, after it issued a veiled threat to the government over its candidate for president.



Describing the General Staff's latest statement in which it said it would act to defend the separation of state and religion as "an open interference in democracy," the Ankara-based Human Rights Association (İHD) urged all to claim democracy against this move, which it said has harmed both the democratic characteristic of the state and the rule of law.
"Even the 1982 Constitution, which we consider anti-democratic and which we are striving to change, defines the Turkish Republican state as 'a democratic state of law'," the İHD said in a written statement released on Saturday.

A democratic state means that civil organizations and civil politics fulfill their responsibilities in a free environment, free of all kinds of interference. The interference of the armed forces in this sphere for whatever reason destroys the democratic characteristics of the state," the İHD said, while emphasizing the vitality of the rule of law in a democratic state.

"In a democratic state of law, there are mechanisms for investigating illegal and criminal attitudes and actions. None of the organs or institutions of the state can assume itself as sole protector or representative of the state and cannot grant itself the right to interfere in the spheres of responsibility of other organs or institutions," the İHD said, bringing to mind the fact that the General Staff statement would act to defend the separation of state and religion.

"Most important of all is the approach that will be assumed toward this statement. We call on all political parties, labor unions, civil society organizations, professional organizations, human rights organizations, intellectuals and universities to claim democracy," the İHD concluded.

Human rights organization MAZLUM-DER President Ayhan Bilgen condemned the statement and called on independent judicial organs to evaluate the statement in terms of constitutional, military and penal codes. Bilgen also asserted that the statement would significantly influence a decision to come out of Turkey's Constitution Court regarding an appeal made by the main opposition party to annul the presidential election process in Parliament.

All of Turkey's trade unions, including the Confederation of Revolutionary Workers' Unions (DİSK), the education professionals' union Eğitim-Bir-Sen, workers' union Hak-İş and public servants' unions Kamu-Sen and Memur-Sen as well as press workers' union BASK issued statements condemning the statement and highlighted that the only way out of a potential of crisis lies in democracy.

Media members condemn military intervention

Journalist Hasan Celal Güzel, who is also a former minister, condemned the statement, saying it is an "Imposition and tyranny against law and democracy," and continued: "The General Staff has no authority to issue such a declaration. It is an anti-democratic coup attempt. I condemn it. I want to say that if it turns into an actual coup, I will go out into the street and oppose it despite my 62 years. I am ashamed of living in this country. We are in 2007. Wasn't it the chief of general staff who was talking about commitment to law and democracy only two days ago? Isn't he ashamed right now? Shame on them. They have weapons, and they apparently have the intent of turning those weapons against the nation. The right thing to do would be call early elections. The AK Party's vote will increase by 10 percent against this tyranny."

Perhaps, the harshest reaction from the media came from journalist Hasan Cemal "As a civilian, I can only say 'no' to this midnight memorandum, and I cannot accept it," Cemal said in televised remarks on Saturday. Cemal said Turkey was only beginning to recover from the terrible consequences brought on by the Sept. 12, 1980 coup. Like most other commentators, Cemal shared his view that calling early elections was the best thing to do to remedy the situation.

Journalist Taha Akyol expressed his opinion that a number of religious ceremonies that drew the ire of the General Staff could not possibly be considered Islamic fundamentalism, speaking to news channel CNN-Türk on Saturday. "People in Turkey don't want to die for a cause but rather live for the blessings of the world. You cannot bring Islamic law by abolishing the death penalty. You cannot bring Islamic law by harmonizing with the European Union acquis. Everybody has to recognize these dynamics. We should see the entire picture, and not only half of it," Akyol said, adding many of Turkey's young women today were becoming increasingly involved in Turkey's social, political and sports areas.

Academics and intellectuals oppose military intervention

Soli Özel, an international relations instructor at Bilgi University, commented that the most frustrating part about the recent developments was the CHP not taking a firm stance against military involvement in civilian politics. Özel also expressed his opinion that the future of the process depended on how civilians were going to manage these developments, highlighting that EU Commissioner Rein's remarks clearly showed that the EU perceived the statement to be a deed against all principles of EU membership.

"Reactions from the EU will be mostly shaped by this [political reactions here]," Özel said. Commenting on Washington's remarks on the General Staff statement, he said: "I don't think the US would approve the military laying out the parameters of Turkish politics as it did in 1980. Judging by their initial statements, they look like they are still considering what stance to adopt."

Galatasaray University instructor Ahmet İnsel said the statement had dealt a severe blow to democracy and said the best thing would be to call early elections. "The elections will now be squeezed inside the secularist-anti-secularist dichotomy," he commented.

Middle East Technical University (METU) Rector Ural Akbulut referred to the General Staff statement as an "e-memorandum," underlining the fact that it was posted on the military's Web site late Friday night. "This is a memorandum; it is a repetition of Feb. 28," Akbulut said, referring to a memorandum issued by the military on that date in 1997, which started a wave of persecution against a large number of journalists, bureaucrats and academics serving in public universities.

1980 coup general backs statement

Kenan Evren, the general who took charge of Turkey after a 1980 military coup, expressed his opinion that the army was right to weigh in to a row over Turkey's presidential election because its role is to protect the secular state. Evren, who is now retired, served as president in the 1980s, after a coup in which hundreds of thousands of people were arrested. "The General Staff apparently felt the need to issue such a warning when it saw the deterioration in secularism and Islamic fundamentalism," he said and stressed that the Turkish Armed Forces was very sensitive about secularism. "The General Staff is discharging its responsibility," he told press members at a charity event organized by the wives of army officials in the southern resort of Marmaris, where he resides.



"My father must have turned over in his grave," said Ahmet Özal, the son of late President Turgut Özal, who was also the first elected prime minister after the 1980 coup. Noting that his father was elected to the presidency in a process similar to the one going on in the voting of AK Party presidential candidate Abdullah Gül, Özal criticized the opposition Motherland Party (ANAVATAN), founded by Turgut Özal, for not supporting Gül's candidacy. "Today's the Motherland Party has betrayed Özal," he said.

kaddersokak why dont you write your opinions here instead of copying an essay here?

What an expressian "Turkish civilians condemn military declaration"...
person who has written this i think dont want to see the people in Çağlayan, Tandoğan or all over the country...

maybe have a look at this as a starting point:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constitution_of_Turkey

here is the current consitution in english:
http://www.byegm.gov.tr/mevzuat/anayasa/anayasa-ing.htm

refer to articles 1-4.