Abstract
Kemal Ataturk entrusted the safety of Turkey's future to her youth. In effect, however, it has been the armed forces who have been the protectors of the state. In the past 64 years since the founding of the republic in 1923, there have been three major instances of intrusion, albeit reluctantly, by the military in the political arena. In every instance withdrawal to the barracks was undertaken by the officer corps themselves. This article examines two critical factors as they pertain to the role of the Turkish military in politics. One factor is a historical review of civil-military relations and how the armed forces interpret the sanctity of civilian rule. The other examines officer corps' recruitment patterns that might provide clues as to the perceptions of the corps' role in the Turkish political arena.
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