The Generals Coup in Turkey
Mehmet Ali Birand
Brassey’s
There have been three coups in Turkey in as many decades causing significant political and social upheavals. For Turkey, as well as for the Western Alliance, the 1980 intervention was by far the most important in its revolutionary effects across the entire social, economic and political fabric of Turkish life.
There is no doubt that the generals who came to power during the early hours of 12 September 1980 have stamped their imprint on every aspect of Turkish society. This is a unique phenomenon since the founding of the Turkish Republic under the aegis of the legendary Mustafa Kemal Ataturk who created modern Turkey from the debris of a theocratic empire.
This book, written by a Turkish foreign affairs correspondent, is a readable and impartial account of that crucial period in Turkish history culminating in the military takeover of September 1980. It breaks new ground in revealing the military planning, personalities, and motivations behind the coup in an important NATO ally, which maintains the largest armed forces in the Alliance's European wing, and is situated in a sensitive strategic region. | 
