Islamist Groups among the People in the Streets of Turkey: Turkologist
Developments in Turkey will have their influence on the region as well. Ruben Safrastyan, Head of Department of Turkish Studies, Institute of Oriental Studies, Armenian National Academy of Sciences, Turkologist, told 168.am, touching upon the coup attempt and its failure.
According to the latter, policy pursued by Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan made the country face a rather hard situation—in the fields of both domestic and foreign policies.
“As a result of its adventurous policy in the field of foreign policy Turkey appeared on the threshold of heavy geo-political defeat, that’s why they attempted to overcome that situation by settling its relations with Russia and Israel. Crisis was observed inside the country as well: basically, Kurdish rebel movement continues, and they fail to put an end to that. On the other hand, we observe among the society, that polarization between powers sharing different views is intensifying, and a part of the army decided to put an end to that situation and alienate Islamists, represented by Erdogan, from the authorities. However, we observed, that the army didn’t act united,” the Turkologist said.
He noticed, that he has repeatedly stated, the reason that coup hasn’t been recorded in Turkey until now, was the fact that Turkish army isn’t united, as it used to, which is conditioned by the circumstance, that officers with Islamist views comprised a great number, and they wouldn’t obey commands,
“We have observed it. Another circumstance was that the coup attempt foiled was that, on the one hand, Erdogan is maintaining the circumstance of his being a charismatic leader, lead lots of supporters, who gave their vote in the elections of last November. We also observe that hundreds and thousands of people went into the streets, and it should be taken into consideration that among them, besides civilians, supporting Erdogan, non-formal groupings formed and headed by Erdogan’s political party are observed.
He stressed that there were Islamist groups among them, which played a crucial role, that’s why the coup foiled.
R.Safrastyan doesn’t observe interference of any external power in the coup. “As the coup wasn’t consolidated, we saw, that the military in Turkey was splitted, greater part, which didn’t protect, are high-ranking militants, who are in close ties with their fellow partners in the USA. I don’t think this could have been initially agreed.”
The Turkologist excluded interference of Russia as well, stressing that Turkish army is a NATO army, it comprises a part of NATO, “Turkish army can’t communicate with Russians.”
R.Safrastyan considers these developments will have their influence on the region as well, as Turkey, as an important country in the region, one of the countries with important NATO army, enters the heaviest phase of new history,” This is a phase of crisis. I think, crisis sharpening phase in Turkey will last long. It’ll have its implication in the region, as well as in Syria. I think, discontent, existent in Turkey from the policy led by Erdogan will continue, and it’ll have its influence on Turkey’s foreign policy as well.”
By Ani Keshishyan
