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DOI :10.26650/SJ.2023.43.2.0047   IUP :10.26650/SJ.2023.43.2.0047    Full Text (PDF)

The Changing Perception of Threats to the Nation-State and the Changing Structure of Military Organization in Türkiye from the Republic to the Present Day

Atilla Öztekin, Temmuz Gönç Şavran

This study aims to describe and assess the evolution of perceived threats to the nation-state and the structural changes within military institutions across three distinct periods in the history of the Turkish Republic. This analysis is conducted through a literature review framed within the context of the discussions on military sociology. Military organizations change according to the types of perceived threats, with the forms of collective threats with which the state is directly or indirectly involved transform. The types of threats had been mass coordinated destruction during the War of Independence and today has turned into subnational threats in the pattern of a flexible network of violence. Türkiye’s military institution is historically based on compulsory military service under a central state authority and continues to undergo a process of increased flexibility and professionalization within its organizational framework. Consequently, the Turkish Armed Forces can be characterized as a semi-professional military organization. Its emphasis on regional defense and institutional professionalization initiatives have led to an increase in the number of professional soldiers within its ranks, surpassing the number of individuals who fulfill compulsory service obligations.

Keywords: Military sociology, Military organization, Collective violence, Nation-state, Turkish Armed Forces
DOI :10.26650/SJ.2023.43.2.0047   IUP :10.26650/SJ.2023.43.2.0047    Full Text (PDF)

Cumhuriyetten Günümüze Türkiye’de Ulus Devlete Yönelik Tehdit Algısının ve Askerî Organizasyonun Değişen Yapısı

Atilla Öztekin, Temmuz Gönç Şavran

Bu çalışma, askerî sosyoloji tartışmaları çerçevesinde yapılan bir literatür taramasına dayanarak Türkiye Cumhuriyet tarihinin üç dönemi üzerinden ulus devlete karşı algılanan tehdidin ve askeri kurumların organizasyon yapısının dönüşümünü betimleyip değerlendirmeyi amaçlamaktadır. Devletin doğrudan ya da dolaylı dâhil olduğu kolektif tehdit biçimleri dönüşürken algılanan tehdit biçimine göre askerî organizasyon da değişmektedir. Kurtuluş Savaşı’nda kitlesel koordine yıkım olan tehdit biçimi günümüzde esnek şiddet ağı örüntüleri biçimindeki ulus altı tehditlere dönüşmüştür. Merkezi devlet otoritesi altında zorunlu askerlik uygulamasına dayalı olan ordu kurumu organizasyonel bağlamda esnekleşme ve profesyonelleşme sürecini devam ettirmektedir. Bu nedenle Türk Silahlı Kuvvetleri yarı profesyonel askeri organizasyon olarak nitelendirilebilir. Bölgesel savunma anlayışı ve kurumsal profesyonelleşme çabalarıyla bünyesindeki profesyonel asker sayısı zorunlu hizmetini yerine getiren asker sayısının üzerine çıkmıştır.

Keywords: Askerî sosyoloji, Askerî organizasyon, Kolektif şiddet, Ulus-Devlet, Türk Silahlı Kuvvetleri

EXTENDED ABSTRACT


The aim of this study is to describe the perceived threats to the nation-state and the transformations of the organizational structure in military organizations over three periods of the history of the Republic of Türkiye (1919-1945, 1945-1990, 1990-2023). The study also aims to evaluate these within the framework of the discussions on military sociology. The main limitation of the study is that it only provides a broad overview of each period without delving into the details of the military institution’s transformation. While this approach is suitable for the purpose of the study, it may not provide a comprehensive understanding of the changes that have occurred during each period. The study is a literature review that focuses solely on Türkiye post-Republic. The scope of the study excludes sociological discussions related to the transition from traditional society to modern society, as well as civil-military relations. The study’s scope being limited and the study not providing a comprehensive understanding of the broader sociological context in which the military operates are important to note. However, the study’s focus on post-Republic Türkiye provides valuable insights into the military’s organizational structure and perceived threats during these periods.

Military organizations and security practices also transform in line with changes in the perceived threats and types of collective violence against the modern state change. When examining the historical context, threats to states starting at the beginning of the 20th century to the pre-Cold War period involved all-out wars that aimed at destroying national unity, as well as spatially concentrated wars that resulted in mass deaths. The perceived threats in these periods have been enemy invasion, with the force structure being a massive army and the military mission being national defense. For the Republic of Türkiye, this first period involves World War I, the War of Independence, and World War II, in which it had participated briefly but experienced its effects intensely. As war industrialized, industrial production methods and bureaucratic organization became integrated into the production of military equipment and the conduct of war. The societal values of the military organization were embraced by the population, and the institutional blueprint of the military expanded across nearly all segments of society, guided by the overarching concept of national service.

After World War II, the threat shifted to nuclear attacks, which posed regional-level risks. During this era, the perceived threat revolved around the possibility of nuclear warfare, with a professional army characterized by the composition of a diverse force, with the primary military objective being support for alliances. The advent of the nuclear threat eroded the traditional temporal and spatial confines of warfare. Nations possessing nuclear capabilities maintained a state of readiness among their populations through the deterrence of these weapons. This context, characterized by an ever-present risk and the need for constant vigilance in the space between war and peace, reshaped the global security landscape and exerted a significant influence on the bipolar world structure dominated by NATO and the Warsaw Pact. Efforts to mitigate nuclear risks prompted NATO to provide military equipment and technology support to its member countries, including Türkiye. The acquisition of new weapons and equipment within this framework necessitated the utilization, safeguarding, and maintenance of these assets, leading the Turkish Armed Forces to enlist individuals from new professions and sectors. This heightened bureaucratization resulted in a greater degree of structural differentiation and hierarchical stratification within the military. Additionally, the traditional vertical pyramid-shape of the organizational base that had been found in classical armies began to broaden as a consequence of this process. As this bureaucratization unfolded, the military organization underwent a transformation into an expanded professional army. Within this evolving structure, the ranks of professionals within the army diversified and expanded, giving rise to a layered hierarchy of talent, distinct from the citizen-based mass conscript armies of the past.

In the post-Cold War era, the central challenge has lain in confronting decentralized and widely spread network warfare scenarios that encompass local elements, such as terrorism and ethnic conflicts, and that are characterized by uncertainties regarding time and space. During this period, the primary perceived threat has consisted of localized violence necessitating the presence of a smaller professional military force that is primarily engaged in new missions such as peacekeeping operations. The prevailing types of threats in this era have been local and subnational, typified by low-intensity violence with little temporal and spatial predictability and deliberately targeting civilian populations. The key attributes that enable the military organization to counter such threats include speed, creativity, effective communication, self-organization, and adaptability. This adaptability extends to equipment, military leadership (both at the soldier and managerial levels), and organizational structure. In alignment with the theoretical underpinnings of these developments, the Turkish Armed Forces has responded by reducing the duration of compulsory military service and downsizing its personnel numbers, concurrently increasing the proportion of civilian and professional military staff within the institution. Despite this downsizing and increased flexibility, the Turkish Armed Forces has persisted in its military transformation, embracing the concept of an expanded professional army. It has restructured itself with a focus on regional defense, expanded its armored and heavy weaponry capabilities, and in addition to combating local terror threats, has engaged in peacekeeping and maintenance operations like Operation Claw and Operation Peace Spring.

When delving into the sociological analysis of the transformation within the Turkish Armed Forces, similar to many other societal institutions, the fact that the military establishment has experienced profound changes in response to the sweeping global shifts that have characterized recent history becomes increasingly apparent. These shifts have ushered in a new era where fundamental concepts such as industrialization, the evolving nature of labor processes, and the imperative of adaptability have played pivotal roles in reshaping the military landscape. To truly comprehend the intricacies of this transformation, a more exhaustive exploration is imperative. This requires a thorough investigation that delves into the nuanced details of each distinct historical period, as delineated in the core themes of this study. By undertaking such a comprehensive analysis, a richer understanding can be gained of how the Turkish Armed Forces has adapted and evolved over time as a microcosm of broader societal changes.


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APA

Öztekin, A., & Gönç Şavran, T. (2023). The Changing Perception of Threats to the Nation-State and the Changing Structure of Military Organization in Türkiye from the Republic to the Present Day. İstanbul University Journal of Sociology, 43(2), 295-322. https://doi.org/10.26650/SJ.2023.43.2.0047


AMA

Öztekin A, Gönç Şavran T. The Changing Perception of Threats to the Nation-State and the Changing Structure of Military Organization in Türkiye from the Republic to the Present Day. İstanbul University Journal of Sociology. 2023;43(2):295-322. https://doi.org/10.26650/SJ.2023.43.2.0047


ABNT

Öztekin, A.; Gönç Şavran, T. The Changing Perception of Threats to the Nation-State and the Changing Structure of Military Organization in Türkiye from the Republic to the Present Day. İstanbul University Journal of Sociology, [Publisher Location], v. 43, n. 2, p. 295-322, 2023.


Chicago: Author-Date Style

Öztekin, Atilla, and Temmuz Gönç Şavran. 2023. “The Changing Perception of Threats to the Nation-State and the Changing Structure of Military Organization in Türkiye from the Republic to the Present Day.” İstanbul University Journal of Sociology 43, no. 2: 295-322. https://doi.org/10.26650/SJ.2023.43.2.0047


Chicago: Humanities Style

Öztekin, Atilla, and Temmuz Gönç Şavran. “The Changing Perception of Threats to the Nation-State and the Changing Structure of Military Organization in Türkiye from the Republic to the Present Day.” İstanbul University Journal of Sociology 43, no. 2 (Apr. 2024): 295-322. https://doi.org/10.26650/SJ.2023.43.2.0047


Harvard: Australian Style

Öztekin, A & Gönç Şavran, T 2023, 'The Changing Perception of Threats to the Nation-State and the Changing Structure of Military Organization in Türkiye from the Republic to the Present Day', İstanbul University Journal of Sociology, vol. 43, no. 2, pp. 295-322, viewed 27 Apr. 2024, https://doi.org/10.26650/SJ.2023.43.2.0047


Harvard: Author-Date Style

Öztekin, A. and Gönç Şavran, T. (2023) ‘The Changing Perception of Threats to the Nation-State and the Changing Structure of Military Organization in Türkiye from the Republic to the Present Day’, İstanbul University Journal of Sociology, 43(2), pp. 295-322. https://doi.org/10.26650/SJ.2023.43.2.0047 (27 Apr. 2024).


MLA

Öztekin, Atilla, and Temmuz Gönç Şavran. “The Changing Perception of Threats to the Nation-State and the Changing Structure of Military Organization in Türkiye from the Republic to the Present Day.” İstanbul University Journal of Sociology, vol. 43, no. 2, 2023, pp. 295-322. [Database Container], https://doi.org/10.26650/SJ.2023.43.2.0047


Vancouver

Öztekin A, Gönç Şavran T. The Changing Perception of Threats to the Nation-State and the Changing Structure of Military Organization in Türkiye from the Republic to the Present Day. İstanbul University Journal of Sociology [Internet]. 27 Apr. 2024 [cited 27 Apr. 2024];43(2):295-322. Available from: https://doi.org/10.26650/SJ.2023.43.2.0047 doi: 10.26650/SJ.2023.43.2.0047


ISNAD

Öztekin, Atilla - Gönç Şavran, Temmuz. “The Changing Perception of Threats to the Nation-State and the Changing Structure of Military Organization in Türkiye from the Republic to the Present Day”. İstanbul University Journal of Sociology 43/2 (Apr. 2024): 295-322. https://doi.org/10.26650/SJ.2023.43.2.0047



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Submitted21.07.2023
Accepted06.10.2023
Published Online27.10.2023

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