Former President and General, Kenan Evren, 94, being tried in court

Literal- In a government that has been under 4 coups in 50 years, laws have been changed and passed to support the stability of the Turkish Government. Kenan Evren, 94, has been indicted with acts against the forces of the state. In a coup on September 12th, 1980, Kenan Evren ordered tanks to position themselves in the Capitals streets. He then became president and allegedly imprisoned, tortured, and killed thousands of people. He demolished the political system of Turkey to the point of rebuilding is still under way today. An article passed in 1982 had previously protected Kenan Evren and other generals from being charged. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan ratified recent constitution changes that no longer protect any of the former generals. They have been arresting the coup leaders and generals and are trying them in court, whether or not they’re a hundred years old. Critics of the country’s ruling are saying it’s a way to target the political parties against Erdogan. Supporters argue it will bring the military under control of publicly elected officials. It is a much needed step due to the abundance of coups since 1960.

Critical- The government of Turkey is finally becoming more of a publicly elected country rather than political dominance by the military. I believe that what the government is trying the former generals for is necessary and support the decision of showing that the government of the people has the power to overthrow the military now, not the other way around. The control of the military is important to the stability of the country. Is it practical to try a 94 year old man? No, probably not. Is it needed to show the stability of the country? Yeah, I’d say so.

Inferential- The past year has shown a lot of countries becoming overthrown by the people who demand a new government. One that will be stable and gives freedom to the people of that country. Turkey has shown that an overthrow may be helpful but won’t solve the problems right away. It may take 20-50 years before everything is settled down in Libya, and Syria now.