AKP generous with lip service, but Turkish soldiers need more

Since the Kurdish peace process collapsed in June, the death toll has been steadily mounting. Although there are no official numbers for casualties, on Jan. 21 it was reported that in the last seven months of 2015, Turkey lost 218 military personnel. The number of losses in the first 20 days of 2016 was reported as 24.

It would be no exaggeration to say that almost every day, Turkish TVs broadcast funeral scenes. In most cases, senior Turkish government officials are present. Before the November elections, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was criticized for his remarks glorifying martyrdom and using the funeral scenes to his political advantage. Since the elections we still see a heavy presence by senior AKP members at these funerals. In a recent drunk-driving accident, the police officer who was killed was given a martry’s funeral in the presence of a provincial governor, mayor and high-ranking military officers.

In addition, the top brass frequently accompanies the Turkish president and prime minister during their foreign visits. On Jan. 31, the Turkish armed forces' Chief of General Staff Hulusi Akar was photographed in camouflage next to Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu in Saudi Arabia, generating speculation about the intended message of his outfit. Pro-government media outlets frequently publish news and op-eds praising the armed forces as well as the dead. Pages of photos from funerals are common in all the dailies as well. As young conscripts from all over Turkey become casualties or veterans, reports about which city has the most martyrs contribute to the rise of nationalistic fervor.

Considering that the AKP’s rhetoric on military sacrifice has changed significantly over the last couple of years from rather reckless criticism to respectful commemoration, we need to question how the AKP became an ally of the armed forces so rapidly and what this newfound alliance means for the troubled civilian-military relations in Turkey.