Civil military relations in “military democracies”: military interventions in Turkey and Israel

Abstract

The study compares military interventions in Turkey and Israel and examine how civil-military relations evolved since state formation. The term "arbitrator army" has been used to describe militaries that determine the political outcomes in the societies they serve. Both Turkey and Israel have democratic systems. Both states have institutional and legal frameworks that stipulate the supremacy of the political leadership over the military, yet in both states the militaries intervene in politics and exert influence. The main purpose of study to explain how strong military influence in political issues has resulted in direct military interventions in Turkey but not in Israel. Through a historical comparison, this study examines how the civilian leadership has shared power with the military and what explains the breakdown of their partnership between the civilian and the military leadership. This study argues that the political institutions established during state building period determined the level and type of participation of the military in domestic politics.