Turkey has lived in recent days in the impact of a great controversy after the statement published by a group of retired Navy generals, and without any introduction, Turkey entered into a big debate about the impact of this step, and the reason is the statement signed by 103 retired generals, which was published on the Internet.
This statement in which the signatories spoke about the Montreux Treaty and the Istanbul Canal project, and it is interesting to note that the retired officers began their statement by expressing their discomfort, and of course they followed the approach of the putschists who preceded them, and added some secular and Ataturk spices, but it seems that they are primarily preoccupied with the Istanbul Canal project.
At the outset, let us agree that Turkey is no longer that country that anyone can influence, as the last coup attempt was repelled within one night thanks to the valiant resistance of the people who responded to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's call and responded to the failed coup on July 15, 2016, People of all walks of life, from right and left, Alawites and Sunnis, came out with bare chests of guns, tanks and even warplanes, and even with 250 dead that night and more than two thousand wounded, this did not frighten the citizens who adhered to democracy and showed great determination.
The Turkish armed forces realize that they have become stronger when they adhered to the political approach and democracy, after the end of an era in which the army has been working for years to undermine democracy, making it incapable of carrying out its primary mission, which is fighting terrorism
By the end of that night, all the putschists had been arrested and imprisoned, and during the course that started after those events, the Turks feel great pride and have a higher awareness of the importance of protecting their democracy. The coup plotters have been tried and a new situation has formed that makes them not think about coups again.
In this context, it seems interesting how such a statement is issued by a group of retired generals, and although some may claim that these officers, despite their retirement, are still part of the army, this matter is nothing more than a pipe dream, and today we can assert that the Turkish army He reached a stage where he became committed to democracy and stood against those behind coups.
The Turkish armed forces realize that they have become stronger when they adhered to the political approach and democracy after the end of an era in which the army has been working for years to undermine democracy, making it incapable of carrying out its primary mission, which is to fight terrorism, as the army was not able at that time to deal with terrorist groups that harmed the country for 40 years. He was unable to control these organizations that threaten the country from the inside and outside.
But after the purge that was carried out against the planners of the July 15 coup, and the army's withdrawal towards the borders as stipulated by the administrative decrees and the constitution, the armed forces began to carry out the most successful operations in the history of the republic, and since then the Turkish Armed Forces have carried out 3 major successful operations inside Syria.
The PKK organization suffered a historic defeat in the country, and the threat it posed to Turkey has disappeared, and at the same time the armed forces continue to carry out their missions in Libya, Somalia and Azerbaijan with great success, reminding the world of the glorious history of the Turkish army.
In fact, the resentment of 103 retired generals is a natural thing, and they can express that, as these countries have a clear political vision, and there is a government that makes decisions and it will certainly not be able to satisfy everyone, and it is possible to find people who oppose these policies and are upset with them, and it is natural that They express their concern and opposition, but the most important thing is that these government policies satisfy the people, and this is the meaning of democracy.
As for what is not natural, it is that these retired generals are taking such a step, relying on a tight organization and at this particular time, to give the impression that they are influencing the democratic path.
But of course, Turkey today is far from any possibility or favorable conditions for a successful military coup, and the reactions to this statement are not due to the fear of a coup taking place, or the possession of these generals any influence that might enable them to implement the threats contained in their statement, on the contrary. Absolutely, the reactions that we are witnessing these days unquestionably prove that the coup threats are of no value and cannot be turned into a tangible reality.
Today there is a state of awareness that this country is witnessing a real renaissance, and it can prevail over all those who think about carrying out coups, and of course, this awareness was not formed between day and night, and it was not an easy matter, rather it was a product of the crises that the country suffered and cost a lot, and it was formed. This awareness among the people after they realized that coups are the biggest evils, this awareness appeared before the world in the stations of April 27, 2007, and from December 17 to 25, 2013, and on July 15, 2016.
The truth is that the real reason behind the 103 generals' opposition to the Istanbul Canal project and their refusal to violate the Montreux Treaty is that this treaty reminds them of their interests, but in reality there is no relationship between the two issues, and the Istanbul Canal is a new project that opens up great prospects for Turkey.
The Montreux Treaty on Navigation in the Straits represents a useless burden, while the Istanbul Canal project will bring significant economic benefits.
And if there is a retired general upset about this, this tells us a lot about the parties that were benefiting from this treaty, this step really shows that Turkey is progressing on the right track.