Tensions have risen between Turkey's military and Islamist government. Officials and military sources said the tensions stem from efforts by the government of Prime Minister Recep Erdogan to sharply reduce the role and profile of the military. The effort has been supported by Erdogan's Justice and Development Party, or AKP, which has a huge majority in parliament.
The latest tiff was sparked by a parliamentary demand to remove the military contingent from the government complex in Ankara. Parliamentarians said the military presence in the complex was not appropriate for a country that sought to join the European Union. "Ankara, which is the center of national politics, has a military appearance rather than a political one," parliamentarian Resul Tosun, an AKP member said. |