"Nobody Wears down the Military, the Military Frays Itself"

The Heinrich Böll Foundation organized a 2 days symposium in Istanbul on the topic of "The Military's Political Role in Turkey". In the last session of the meeting, Taraf newspaper journalist Lale Kemal Sarıibrahimoğlu emphasized the importance of auditing the financial resources the army is benefiting from as well as its spending.

In the session, the Turkey Economic and Social Studies Foundation (TESEV) introduced their latest report on reducing the military's efficacy in politics.

Besides security almanac co-writer Kemal Sarıibrahimoğlu, economist Zeynep Şarlak, TESEV representative Dilek Kurban and Hale Akay from Bilge University were among the orators.

Kemal Sarıibrahimoğlu: The problem is the wrong spending of the military

Addressing the people who claim that the "military is being worn down", Kemal Sarıibrahimoğlu stated that in fact it was the other way around, "Nobody wears the army down, the army is fraying itself". Those objections benefit from keeping the actual military spending secretly, Kemal Sarıibrahimoğlu said.

Taraf journalist Kemal Sarıibrahimoğlu indicated that including extra-budgetary resources, the military has a budget of approximately 20 billion dollars at its disposal. The journalist pointed out that no information is being published of how and where this money is spent, whereas this information could be obtained from the countries the weapons are bought from. "These are not state secrets. The problem is the wrong spending. Does our tax money go straight to weapons purchase? Why should the military hide information about its spending?" Kemal Sarıibrahimoğlu asked.

The Taraf daily journalist urged the need to form an auditing commission in the parliament in order to make the military withdraw from internal security issues and to find out about the military spending in detail. Such an auditing commission is essential to point out mistakes. Furthermore, civil prosecutors should be able to access the military information, Kemal Sarıibrahimoğlu requested.

"Institutions do not give up their privileges voluntarily. It needs political will-power", the journalist explained, adding that she did not observe this will-power in the government.

Şarlak: "Trust the military" - what does that mean?

Economist Zeynep Şarlak said that those who intend to protect the army are paying the price for their actions. Şarlak continued that a culture of fear became dominant. "Social psychologists must also work in this field. Who fears whom and for what reasons, we have to find out the reasons for such a fear" Şarlak said.

Moreover, Şarlak emphasized the need to question survey outcomes like the one showing "the military as the most trusted institution". The economist illustrated, "The mass media does not publish anything opposing the military, let us not trust the military. All the parties supporting the army after 12 September have lost in the elections. That means we have to understand what that trust actually means".

Kurban: Freedom of Expression is essential

Dilek Kurban from TESEV highlighted the importance of freedom of expression. Also referring to the Kurdish question Kurban said "Whatever the topic, this is essential. Otherwise it is impossible to generate information", Kurban argued.

Akay: I do not vote for "National Security"

Hale Akay from Bilge University, author of the TESEV report, reminded that the National Security Policy Document (MGSB) does not reveal any of its contents and is kept secret to the public. "The country's politics is determined according to this document. I do not vote in political elections, a do not vote for the MGSB", Akay stated. (TK/VK)