Turkey parliament curtails army powers

[muriel_volestrangler]

Turkey's parliament has amended the code governing the armed forces, curtailing their political influence.

The original rules gave the military responsibility of preserving the Republic of Turkey, a clause previously used as a justification for coups.

It now says the army's main duty is to protect the nation from foreign threat.
...
But it has a history of tension with the Islamist-rooted Justice and Development Party (AKP) of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-23302046

Interesting, given the protests.

[JDPriestly]

1. This is a story to watch.

It could affect all of Europe because Turkish nationals are spread across Europe. If the Turkish government is preparing a political clamp-down on its people, there could be among other problems for Turkey, a rush to get out of the country and join families and friends already in other parts of Europe.