An almighty army no more

The failed military coup in Turkey has shown that the Turkish military -- once the one thing the country's leaders feared the most, the body that for years has seen itself as the defender of the legacy put in place by the founder of modern Turkey, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk -- has turned from a menacing bulldog to a harmless pet and it can no longer do as it pleases.

The Turkish military has launched four coups in the last half-century: the first in 1960, when the prime minister was executed, the second in 1971, the third in 1980, and the fourth in 1997, which forced then-Prime Minister Necmettin Erbakan and his government out and outlawed his conservative Felicity party.

But this was all in the past, when the military was far more cohesive. The military's resolve to protect Ataturk's legacy has eroded, and it is reluctant to intervene in Turkish politics.

The proof is before us: Friday's botched coup was the work of a few junior officers, carried out contrary to the discretion of the majority of their superior officers. It is also still unclear exactly who, or what, was the driving force behind this move. Perhaps they were inspired by the way Egypt's Gen. Abdel Fattah el-Sissi was able to oust and replace President Mohammed Morsi three years ago. The difference was that el-Sissi's coup enjoyed extensive public support, and this was not the case in Turkey.

Friday's failed coup again proved what we already know about President Recep Tayyip Erdogan: While many in the public oppose him and his efforts to undermine the country's democratic and secular character, his opposition is divided and lacking true leadership that could effect change.

Moreover, no one in Turkey wants to see the days of bloody military coups return. Criticism aside, Erdogan is a leader elected via a democratic process, and one who enjoys considerable public support, which extends to many of the measures he promotes.

The failed coup also means that Turkey has essentially chosen Erdogan's version of democracy over a military regime. Nevertheless, with the military no longer playing a key role in state politics, those wary of Erdogan's attempts to gnaw at Ataturk's legacy and limit democracy will have to find more powerful allies than the military.

טעינו? נתקן! אם מצאתם טעות בכתבה, נשמח שתשתפו אותנו