THE CYCLICAL NATURE OF COUPS IN TURKEY: TUTELAR STRUCTURES, POLITICAL POLARIZATION, AND ECONOMIC CRISES

This study looks at coups in Turkey from political, social, and economic angles. A coup in Turkey is rarely just a military move. Courts, the bureaucracy, the media, and the economy often play a role too. These point to deeper problems that keep democracy from taking root. The study uses a historical and comparative approach. It focuses on the main military coups 1960, 1971, 1980, and 2016 as well as on key non-military interventions like the February 28 process and the Ergenekon-Balyoz cases. The findings show that the legacy of Ottoman administration and the tutelary mindset inherited from the Committee of Union and Progress continue to undermine democratic oversight. Economic crises and global factors, like the 1980 downturn, played key roles. In more recent cases, media and communication technologies had a strong impact. The study concludes that for democracy in Turkey to take root, tutelage must end, the rule of law must be strengthened, political polarization must be reduced, and economic stability must be secured through broad democratic reforms.