Turkey: Turkey's government announced yesterday that it would be sending to parliament this week a bill aimed at limiting the military's political power.This is the seventh and most controversial step in Turkey's bid to persuade the EU to begin accession proceedings next year, writes Nicholas Birch Istanbul
The planned changes "involve the broadening of basic rights and freedoms targeted in previous packages", Justice Minister Mr Cemil Cicek told reporters.
"In addition [the bill] covers changes related to the National Security Council (NSC)."
Ostensibly the monthly NSC meetings only enable senior generals to "advise" governments on policy. In reality they are one of the army's most effective weapons in its struggle to maintain a centralised, secular Turkey. Overstep the mark, as one Islamic-minded government was seen to do in 1997, and the NSC will push you out of power.
This is the rub. For while the government's huge majority makes ratification of the bill almost certain, its roots in political Islam only exacerbate the military's desire to maintain the status quo.
Given a draft of the bill last week, military officials have voiced four main qualms.
Though they accept plans to open the position of NSC secretary general to civilians, they insist on retaining the right to vet candidates.
They criticise plans to space out meetings to intervals of two or three months, and an article that would permit the NSC to give advice only at the government's request.
Finally, they insist plans to open military accounts to audit must remain secret.
In essence, says Mr Ilnur Cevik, editor of the English-language Turkish Daily News, "they do not want the NSC to turn into a simple advisory body. They want to retain it as a policy-setting body."
A noted hard-liner, the present NSC secretary general, Gen Tuncer Kilinc, has responded testily to arguments that his council has no equivalent among EU member-states.
"It's pointless comparing our country to others," he said on Tuesday. "We have our own geography and our own sensitivities. Turkey needs and will continue to need this council."
Gen Kilinc looks set to resign as the NSC's secretary general early in August. His critics, however, should not hold their breath as the man touted to replace him, Gen Hursit Tolon, is also a well-known hawk.