Turkish military unhappy with reforms

“Forces that will not allow any change in the secular structure of Turkey will act together,” Dogan said, according to Cumhuriyet. “If needed, the army and the nation will achieve the result hand in hand.”

The tensions show how difficult it will be to curtail the influence of the military, which harbours enormous distrust of Erdogan’s Islamic-rooted government. The military sees itself as a protector of Turkey’s secular state, and has sparked three coups. In 1997, it pressured a pro-Islamic government into leaving power. Turkey hopes to start membership talks with the European Union by the end of next year, but the EU has demanded Turkey first curtail the military’s influence and carry out other reforms before it can join.

The military suspects that Erdogan’s government has a secret agenda to replace the secular regime with an Islamic one – an accusation Erdogan denies.

“You are benefiting from the Turkish people’s love for the EU. One day, you will pay for it,” Cumhuriyet quoted Dogan as saying. “Don’t assume that this force will be a coup. This will be the Turkish people.”

Cumhuriyet said Dogan was supported by other generals at the meeting. Erdogan reportedly defended his government, saying they had no intention of harm the military.

The reported clash came only days after parliament passed reforms emphasizing that the National Security Council was an advisory body, allowing a civilian to serve as the council’s secretary-general and permitting lawmakers to scrutinize some military expenses.

The military has a strong say in national policy through its presence on the council, a forum used by the military to exert influence on the government.

EU leaders had warmly welcomed the reforms.