ABSTRACT
For the past century the army in Turkey has been an element of progress. In the West possessions and education are considered the hallmarks of the middle class which created and supports liberal democracy. The army is an important centre of education, and technical training, not only for officers but also for soldiers, who are taught to read and write—particularly important in a country where two-thirds of the population are illiterate. The Turkish army has certainly not been strengthened by the discussion of political problems that the officers have had to solve. The surplus of reserve officers was reduced by accepting only university graduates for reserve officer courses instead of all high-school graduates. Twelve thousand potential trainee reserve officers were sent as teachers to the villages where they had to fight illiteracy.
