Shadow of Coups Lingers Over Turkish Democracy, Veteran Journalist Yavuz Donat Reveals
ISTANBUL – Decades after a series of military interventions derailed Turkey‘s democratic trajectory, veteran journalist Yavuz Donat is demanding full transparency regarding the individuals involved in the shadowy structures established during those periods. In recently published excerpts, Donat details the formation of post-coup advisory bodies and the extensive suppression of media, raising questions about lingering influences within Turkish society.
Donat’s reporting focuses on the aftermath of the May 27, 1960 coup, revealing the establishment of an “Advisory Assembly” of 160 members following the closure of the Grand National Assembly. Forty members formed the command delegation, designated as the National Security Council, while the remaining 120 were drawn from across Turkey. Donat notes a staggering number – over 10,000 – applied for membership, undergoing a vetting process described as evaluating “What did you do well and what did you blow.” Prosperous applicants were greeted with “Welcome asker” (soldier).
The journalist also highlights the systematic silencing of dissenting voices in the press. Four newspapers – Demokrat, Her Gün, Politika, and Işık – faced constant closure. Others experienced repeated shutdowns: Cumhuriyet was closed four times for a total of 41 days, Ulus four times for 72 days, Tercüman twice for 29 days, and Güneş twice for 17 days. Donat grimly references the destruction of “hundreds of thousands” of books.
Donat connects these interventions – including the March 12, 1971 memorandum and the September 12, 1980 coup - as repeated attempts to derail Turkey’s democratic process. He points to the consequences: imprisonment, lengthy sentences, political bans, and a important loss of life.
He concludes with a pointed observation about the present day, questioning the sincerity of those who proclaim “Down with the coup, long live democracy,” and alleging the presence of individuals who either dismiss the coups as “theater” or claim they were “controlled,” and who “are among us today.” Donat calls for the release of archival facts to reveal the identities of those who participated in these structures, arguing the nation has a right to no.
