ABSTRACT
Military predominance in public life has a long and strong tradition in Turkey. In October 1924, anticipating an alleged military plot against his political authority, Ataturk requested all of his chief military commanders to resign their Assembly seats. Traditional society in Turkey had been, prior to the Republic, governed by a long-established coalition between the main social orders which constituted the elite- the court, the clergy, the military. The main mission of the Turkish army was, of course, to provide an efficient force for national defense. An outgrowth of the use of the military to stimulate general development has been the Turkish emphasis on the nonmilitary aspect of what are fundamentally international military pacts. The new military regime in Ankara claims to be reform-minded, not vindictive or partisan. The Turkish experience vividly illustrates the constant challenge to civilian leadership posed by a rapidly developing society in which the democratic tradition is new.
