Turkish Armed Forces And Its Tax Share

Turkish Armed Forces and Its Tax-Share The history of the Turks whose political order was developed in the line with its military order dates before 4000 years. This long story started in Central Asia, which spread throughout all the major continents. Turks founded countless states, the two most known of which are The Anatolian Seljuk State and The Ottoman Empire. Over centruies, the Turkish Flag flew from one end to the other. They watered their horses in the Donube and they knocked on the doors of Vienna(History,Para1). The military is the reason why Turks and their history are written on the history pages with capital letters. But nowadays, there has been lots of debates on whether the tax-share of Turkish Armed Forces should be decreased or not. I strongly insist that the tax-share should not be decreased because, Turkish Armed forces is a deterrence factor and it is offering a secure country to live in. The first reason why the tax-share of Turkish Armed Forces should not be decreased is that it is a deterrence factor. In other words, military constitutes a political power to Turkey for its external affairs. It is usual that states like Turkey which have strategical importance spend more money for defence (H.Aktan,2003,Para3.). Weapons are being more expensive parallel to the improving technology. If the tax-share is decreased, Turkey loses the most important card, its deterrence, which makes it the most respected state of The Middle East. Being the 8th biggest army of the world with 514.850 soldiers, Turkish Armed Forces makes Turkey’s side important in case of an international crisis situation (Sayılarla Türk Ordusu,2008,Para3). With the last improvements, Naval Forces became the most serious force in the Mediterranean. Having a great capacity of weapon and war instruments, Turkey’s side will be important at any probable crisis time in that region.(Sayılarla Türk Ordusu,2008,Para10). Being encircled by potantial problemeatic states, it is easy to explain why Turkey is arming. It would be a folly to decrease the tax-share of military forces while neighbours, like Greece who has secure boundries with EU members other than Turkey, are arming incomprehensibly (Sayılarla Türk Ordusu,2008,Para13). With the equipment it has, Turkish Armed Forces is one of the most impressive and developed forces in the world. Having such an admirable army makes Turkey a state to which it is hard to fight against. This helps Turkey to give its decisions for its own benefits. For example, for the problem of Karabağ, Turkey supports Azerbaijan not only for the emotional bound between the two nations but also for its own interests (Sayılarla Turk

Ordusu,2008,Para14). If Turkey did not have a powerful army, Russia and Armenia would easily venture to fight against Turkey for this problem and this would affect Turkey’s decisions for its own benefits. Army’s having a great deal of tax-share also makes Turkey a more independent state outside its territory. National independence comes with economical independence. If we go on to contingenter enough money for the army and our defence industry, we will not give that much money to foreign industries and will make profit(T.Özkan,2003,Para1). This will heal our economical disease and we will be more independent. The second reason why the tax-share of the military should not be decreased is that Turkish Army is offering a secure country to live in. Within homeland security, army struggles with terrorism. The cost of that struggle increases parallel to the expenditure of equipments that are needed for the struggle. Since the geography on which Turkey mostly struggle with terrorism requires different and expensive kinds of weapons, the tax share must be great(G.Uras,2007,Para1). 92% of Turkey area is secured by Gendarmerie Forces who polices villages and the area that is far apart from city center(The Duties of Turkish Gendarmerie General Command,2009,Para1). In addition to homeland security, Turkish Armed Forces secure our state against any external danger. In war time, conventional war, in which no nuclear weapons are used,is one of the responsibilities of Turkish Army (Mission,Para 2). In addition to region security, Armed Forces helps ally country homeland securities in war times or any crisis situations. Within this help, Turkey sent a battolion of soldiers to Afghanistan to stand up to terrorist groups such as El-Kaide and Taliban.(UGYHK,Para2). Turkey helps these countries not only for humanitarian aid but also for its own profit. As a NATO member, Turkey does its part. In case of a war situation, Turkey will have the right to say ’help me because i did my part as a NATO member’. If the tax-share is decreased, we would not effort sending soldiers there so,would not have the right to say all these. Opponents, who think that the tax-share should be decreased, claim that Turkey should not waste that much money because, we should produce something for the sake of peace insteadof army. They also claim that if the brain which created violance belongs to the mankind, the power of refusing and annihilating this violance belong to the same brain (Umut,2002,Para1). It is true to some extent but not strong enough to make it valid because, when a state decides to put the guns down, others may not. A complete peace is only possible when all states have the same idea which is an utopia. If armies get

powerful and powerful, no state can dare to fight against to the other so, an athmosphere of peace may be achieved. Opponents also claim that Turkey should spend money not for guns, but for health services. According to them, the militarry expenditure is always less than the expenditure for health services in developed countries.(N.Gönültaş,2000,Para2.) It is particularly true but not strong enough. Since technology is improving day by day, guns are getting more and more expensive and the money we have to spend for guns is increasing as well. There is no difference between being sick or healthy in a captive state. Each thousand dollars may heal a person but if calculated, twenty five billion dollars may lead us to lose our independence. In brief, located in a vitially important and challenging region with various political regimes, religions, economic systems and military powers, Turkey has a focal point of strategic lines begining from Gibraltar, where land and sea lines of communication intersect, to Middle East and Central Asia on three continents(History,para5). This makes Turkey a desired country to conquer or to exploit. So as not to be in danger, the tax-share of Armed Forces should not be decreased because, it is a deterrence factor and is offering a secure country to live in.