Deep State

   The Kemalist Republic of Turkey was established on the concept of exclusive Turkish national identity that, among other factors, proved hostile to any expression of Kurdish identity. Since it would be a contradiction in terms to maintain such a situation in a true republic, an arcane or Deep State (Derin Devlet) developed alongside or parallel to the official state to enforce the ultimate principles of the Kemalist Republic. A useful recent definition found the Deep State to be made up of elements from the military, security, and judicial establishments wedded to a fiercely nationalist, statist ideology who, if need be, are ready to block or even oust a government that does not share their vision.

   To some extent, all of these ingredients have long been institutionalized in the Milli Guvenlik Kurulu (MGK), or National Security Council. Other Turkish state security organs that may help institutionalize the Deep State include the Milli Istihbarat Teshilati (MIT), or National Intelligence Organization, the recently abolished Devlet Guvenlik Mahkemesi (DGM), or State Security Courts, and the shadowy JITEM, or the Gendarmerie Intelligence and Counterter-rorist Service.

   However, the Deep State can probably be considered not to be a specific organization with a specific leader, both of which can be identified. Rather, it is a mentality concerning what Turkey should be, namely strongly nationalist, statist, secular, and right-wing. Clearly, such a mentality has no place for meaningful Kurdish rights.

   During the spring of 2010, the continuing Ergenekon trial of ultranationalists and retired military officers charged with planning violent campaigns to destabilize the AK Party government continued. The reputed Ergenekon organization was clearly another term for the Deep State, but critics accused the AK Party of simply trying to take revenge on its Kemalist opponents with these charges.