Relations between the Turkish Armed Forces and the ruling Justice and Development Party in the past five years has been tense and the two sides have kept each other at a distance.

Some of these tensions were reported in the media but at times they went unnoticed. But because of the sovereign role of the military in Turkey crisis was always at the doorstep.

We will now recall the sources of tensions in the past five years:

The first crisis

The first crisis between the government and the military was experienced at the Supreme Military Council meeting in 2002. At the time the prime minister was Abdullah Gul because Recep Tayyip Erdogan had not yet been elected to the Parliament as a Siirt deputy. Gul chaired the Supreme Military Council meeting in December 2002 when Gul and Defense Minister Vecdi Gonul registered their opposition to the dismissal of officers for "Islamic fundamentalist activities."

This was an unprecedented situation until then and came as a shock to the military leadership. Even pro-Islamic former Prime Minister Necmettin Erbakan who was ousted in the February 28, 1997 process had not opposed the dismissals of military personnel for religious activities. On Feb.28 the National Security Council convened and the military forced Erbakan to accept a series of steps to fight religious activism. The Feb.28 process led to the ouster of Erbakan as prime minister in June 1997 which was described as a post modern coup.

The first reaction top this came on January 8, 2003 at a reception at the Gazi Military Guest House when then Chief of Staff General Hilmi Ozkok gave secularist messages. "We respect the religious beliefs and how they reflect this in their private lives. However, no one should use these especially on the headscarf issue to erode the laws, the rulings of the Constitutional Court and the Council of State as a form of political pressure and erode the traditions of the Republic," Ozkok said.

So Ozkok did not only serve notice that the military will continue to safeguard secularist values but he also seemed to voice the concern of the military leadership that the prime minister and defense minister had opposed dismissal of religious activists in the military ranks.

General Yasar Buyukanit who was then the deputy chief of staff said "if the Islamic fundamentalists are still active then the February 28 process is also alive and well."

Northern front

The March 1, 2003 parliamentary memorandum which would allow the Americans to open a northern front against Saddam Hussein on Turkish soil was when the tensions between the government and the military reached an all time high.

General Aytac Yalman who was then the Land Forces commander openly opposed the northern front. Mass circulation daily Milliyet's Fikret Bila reported on the day of the voting of the memorandum in Parliament that the military is "unhappy." His source was apparently General Yalman.

The memorandum was defeated in Parliament much to the displeasure of the government and the Americans. This led to more tensions between the government and the military.

Headscarf crisis

In April 23, 2003 the headscarf crisis hit the reception given by Parliament Speaker Bulent Arinc to mark the 83rd anniversary of the Parliament. In the invitation for the reception Arinc and Mrs Munevver Arinc had invited the guests to the reception. The main opposition Republican People's Party as well as other opposition circles objected to the invitation saying Mrs. Arinc is wearing a headscarf and she should not host such a reception.

So Arinc tried to calm down the storm by announcing his wife will not attend the reception. Despite this President Ahmet Necdet Sezer, Chief of Staff General Ozkok, commanders and CHP deputies did not attend the reception.

Time went by but the crises and tensions never ended.

The religious schools

A new crisis erupted when the government introduced a draft law in Parliament to lift restrictions for graduates of Religious High Schools (Imam Hatip Liseleri) to enter university entrance exams. The debates grew and became fiery on secularist education.

The military also entered the debate. The issue was raised at a press conference at the General Staff headquarters. The military openly voiced its deep concern over the draft law and the debates. The issue was discussed between Chief of Staff Ozkok and Prime Minister Erdogan during a luncheon at the prime minister's official residence. The luncheon produced positive results and sides mellowed. The government took a step back by withdrawing the law.

Internal threat or external threat?

The new crisis centered around the Political Document on National Security. The military wanted internal threats to be the top priority while the government had other views. The issue was taken up at the National Security Council.

The military objected to the document and wanted it to be revised. Then Deputy Chief of Staff General Ilker Basbug held a press conference and voiced military objections.

He said the military feels under the current conditions internal threats have a greater priority compared to external threats. "Our hope is that one day Turkey manages to get rid of separatist terrorism and Islamic fundamentalist activities. Only then external threats may gain more importance compared to internal threats," he declared.

Continuous crises

The tensions between the government and the military became a permanent issue because the government insisted in objecting to the military moves to dismiss officers for religious activism. The August 2003 Supreme Military Council meeting was chaired by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The military dismissed 18 officers on charges of "lack of discipline." Erdogan and Defense Minister Gonul objected and again registered their objections in a written form. Then deputy chief of staff General Yasar Buyukanit reacting to the objections of Erdogan and Gonul told reporters during a handover ceremony that the prime minister and the defense minister were not justified in officially objecting to the council decisions because the decisions are not open to judicial appeal. He said the objections violate the Constitution.

Commanders retiring at the end of August 2003 issued tough messages against the government.

Then National Security Council chief General Tuncer Kilinc told a ceremony on August 25 "there are still those who want the Khilafat and religious rule while we should be striving for a single state, single nation and single flag under the banner of Ataturk nationalism."

Former Air Force commander Cumhur Asparuk also spoke at a handover ceremony declaring "while other nations are trying to control the world from space we are going back a century and we are busy with religious schools, headscarves and religious orders."

Similar statements were witnessed during the handover ceremony at the naval headquarters. Then Navy Commander Admiral Bulent Alpkaya "today our national unity and the basic structure of our secular Republic are under threat from within the country and outside the country. It is unfortunate that separatist and fundamentalist forces are hard at work on the 80th anniversary of the Republic."

Gen. Ozkok hosted a reception on August 30 celebrating the Victory Day. At the reception then Gendarmerie Commander Sener Eruygur replying to question of reporters on Koran courses said "just look at the way they dress and you will see what their aim is."

Ozkok was different

Chief of Staff Gen. Ozkok had a different approach so the problems and frictions between the government and the military were not brought t the attention of the press. On the contrary people felt the military and the government was working in harmony. People were shocked when rumors spread that Prime Minister Erdogan had offered to name Ozkok as the future presidential candidate of the government. Ozkok denied the claims at a press conference.

Objections to the YOK law

The Higher University Board (YOK) strongly objected to the new law restructuring the board. Then YOK President Prof. Kemal Guruz visited then Land Forces Commander Aytac Yalman with a group of academicians and complained about the moves of the government.

Then Deputy Chief of Staff Gen. Ilker Basbug made a statement a month after and said the military is concerned that the changes that the government is trying to make in the YOK law violates the Constitution.

When reactions increased against the proposed changes from the military, universities and the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) the system that would allow some religious school graduates to enter university were delayed in the Parliament.

Headscarf problem at Cankaya

President Ahmet Necdet Sezer sent invitations out to state officials to mark the October 29 National Day. Invitations sent to officials whose wives wear a headscarf were without spouses. Sezer felt the presidential palace in Cankaya was "public space" and people wearing headscarves should not be admitted there. This created an uproar.

Prime Minister Erdogan told reporters the nation would evaluate this and give its own verdict.

While all this was going on university presidents, academicians, representatives of NGOs and students held a "RESPECT THE Republic" rally and marched to the Anit Kabir, the mausoleum of Ataturk.

The National Day reception was held and AK Party deputies who were invited without their spouses did not turn up. Prime Minister Erdogan, some ministers and AK party executives attended the reception but did not bring their wives.

Sezer spoke to journalists at the reception and said "this is not my private party. It is a state celebration. There are attempts to challenge secularism. I will not tolerate this."

Erdogan did not reply and preferred to be silent. Chief of Staff en. Ozkok said "the president does whatever he fells is best. It is not right to comment on the actions of the head of state."

Different approaches to terrorism

There were also differences in the way the military and the government viewed terrorism.

The military wanted an Undersecretariat on terrorism to be established for an effective fight against terrorism. The government did not like the idea.

With the approach of summer PKK increased its activities and military losses started mounting. Meanwhile, the military felt the European Union reforms had ties its hands in the fight against terrorism. So the military consistently pushed the government for changes but did not get far.

Gen. Yasar Buyukanit who became Land Forces commander at the time complained that Turkey did not have a policy on Iraq. This prompted AK Party to react. Rumors spread that once Gen. Ozkok retired the government would be reluctant to name Buyukanit to replace him.

But President Sezer took a tough stand and the government sent a decree to the presidential palace in July 2006 naming Buyukanit as chief of staff.

In comes Buyukanit

In 2006 Gen. Buyuanit become chief of staff and led the Armed Forces. Once he was in office military started issuing statements on separatism and fundamentalism. But terrorism continued.

The military felt the local government in northern Iraq was behind separatist terrorism. When the government was making calls for dialogue with the Iraqi Kurdish leaders the first reaction came from Gen. Buyukanit whoi was then on a trip to Washington. He called Massoud Barzani a "peshmerga leader" and said the military would never talk to him or Iraqi President Jalal Talabani who is also a Kurd. In the end the government abandoned the idea and Erdogan said "we will not talk to the peshmerga leader."

Presidential crisis

Once Sezer's term as president ended who would replace him became a source of friction between the military and the government. During a press conference on April 12, 2007 Buyukanit defined the new head if state which the military would like to see heading the presidential palace. He said the military wants the president to be a person who believes in the secularist values of the Republic in the heart and nit just in words.

AK Party disregarded this statement and the opposition of the CHP and moved to name Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul as the presidential candidate.

The military on April 27 reacted with a tough statement issued on the web-site of the General Staff that boiled down to an ultimatum. Some even called it an "e-memorandum."

The memorandum said the presidential elections had turned into a debate on secularism and said the Armed Forces is monitoring these developments "with deep concern." It said the Armed Forces is on the side of secularism and is the guardian of these principles. It said it will act whenever necessary.

Gul's wife wears a headscarf and the soldiers along with other opposition groups claimed the wife of the president should not cover her hair at the palace.

The government hit back at the memorandum and said the military gets its orders from the government…

But the memorandum proved to be effective. CHP carried the issue to the supreme court which blocked the presidential elections. The issue turned into an impasse, Gul withdrew his candidacy and early elections were called for July 22.

The elections were held and the AK Party won a stunning victory. Now there are string signs that Gul will again be the candidate of the AK Party.

There were claims that the AK Party landslide victory was caused by a reaction by the people to the military's interference in the presidential elections process.

At a recent reception Chief of Staff General Buyukanit said he does not think this is the case. He also said he sticks to his remarks of April 12 on which kind of a president the military wants to see in Cankaya.

Latest crisis

The latest crisis came before the elections. The increase in the death toll of Turkish soldiers struggling against the PKK increase calls from the military for a cross border operation into PKK bases in northern Iraq.

On every occasion Gen. Buyukanit was stressing the need for a cross border operation saying he felt such an action would be successful. Bur each time he also stressed that this needed the approval of the government.

But each time Erdogan acted dumb and preferred to look the other way. Erdogan told reporters the military should make a formal request for such an operation. Buyukanit said he would do no such thing.

At one point Erdogan said the PKK should be stopped in Turkey and not abroad.

Soon after Buyukanit told reporters while a cross border operation would not finish off the PKK it would still stall it and said such a military incursion is needed.

With the parliamentary elections over in Turkey now all eyes are set on the election of the new president. Will that cause new frictions with the military remains to be seen.

The AK Party feels it has been given a mandate by the people to elect its own candidate as president.

Once the presidential elections are over all eyes will be set on the future of Iraq and the PKK issue. Will this be a new source of friction with the military also remains to be seen.

But what is clear is that the military will not abandon its tough attitude of secularism and religious activism. But the attitude of the military is very clear: Islamic fundamentalism is a major threat and the fight will go on even if it takes another 1000 years.