News:

15 August 2014, The Central Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir held an international media conference to save Gaza and all of the occupied Palestine, and to demonstrate the legal (Shari') way that must be followed in order to save it from the assault of the Jewish entity, entitled: "GAZA...Rather All of Palestine Seeks Victory from Muslim Armies". One of the speeches given was Mahmut Kar's "Warm Call to the Turkish Army... Final Army to Protect Palestine" where he strongly called on the might of the 8^th strongest army referencing several glorious examples of Turkey's rich regal history, urging them to move forth to liberate the Blessed Land of Palestine as their duty before Allah (swt).

Yet questions swirl around the boldness and position of this call, for decades, TAF (Turkish Armed Forces) was the most trusted institution in Turkey. However in the last decade, what was noticed was the slow indiscernible stripping of the say from the TAF and a power shift from the military power towards the political rank. This has left a sharp impact on the TAF especially during the corruption crackdowns in the military thereby strengthening the political rank in the recent years, again suctioning away the authority from the TAF. All this is especially alarming with the rise of the Islamists along the southeastern border of Turkey. ("The evolution of Turkish military's role in politics" ALMONITOR, August 27, 2014)

Comment:

The author struck many notes in her article pointing to the evolving role of the Turkish military's role in politics. And the speech by Hizb ut Tahrir's Mahmut Kar had directed his daring words to the soldiers who camp in their barracks while the Muslim Ummah is in agony, yet did not receive media coverage in Turkey. Kar's repeated calls for Jihad, for the mobilization of the TAF, for the liberation of Palestine would have been seen several ripple effects a decade ago. Why the tepid response today? Why is there no alarming sense of caution especially in the presence of many Islamist jihadi groups near Turkey's borders? And what about the media coverage and their response?

The slow suctioning of the authority away from the TAF and towards the political government of AKP has many underlying harms. It allows for the noticeable tepid attitude throughout the ranks of the military even though they hold the distinguished rank in the world and expertize and manpower. However what is the point if the top-ranking brass do not feel a responsibility towards their Ummah if they don't respond to the suffering and the bloodshed of their people in turkey and their Ummah in general. These officers who devoted their lives to the military are also part of a wider fabric that is the Ummah who can only seek their support from them. And that is the vital role of Hizb ut Tahrir to awaken their sense of obligation among the semi-comatose soldiers and to rouse a higher sense of perspective of their existence and their sensitive positions.

And the cunning attempts of the now more visibly powerful authority of the Turkish government in employing mediocre coverage or blackout media tactics to simply keep the wider public unaware of the Hizb's calls thus furthering the vacuum between the people and the TAF as the author poignantly wrote, "...rarely if ever will you see an active-duty officer making a statement in the news, or a retired officer providing commentary on security on TV shows. This is a stark change since TAF used to provide harsh comments even in matters of less importance, but now they are almost invisible."

This type of cavalier attitude towards the TAF has effectively angered many of the top brass and the staff of the lower rank blaming Erdogan's policies towards this shift in power; although Erdogan's government claims concerns and pressures over the open border policy on the southeast region (neighboring Iraq and Syria), this has been a source of upright concern for the US and the possible infiltration of the armed or political Islamists. By decimating the authority of the TAF, it essentially becomes powerless before the AKP and bears no or very little weight in matters in the country.

This extends to role of Erdogen in its policies and the widespread prosecutions throughout the TAF, thus stripping away more and more power and as well tarnishing the regal image of the powerful forces. This is siphoned into the interests of the US which has a lot to gain, by infiltrating the Turkish government through its mouthpiece Erdogan and the weakening of the 8^th strongest army which may serve as an impendent and potential force in the nearing Khilafah "Caliphate".

Now to Hizb ut Tahrir and its role in their calls to the Armed Forces in the Muslim Lands. Hizb ut Tahrir takes the stance that the power is in the hands of the armed forces as they seek the Nussrah (material support) from the people of power and influence. A soldier who is reminded of his duty before Allah (swt) and the supreme reward of Jihad and the general who is reminded of his higher obligation to heed the urgent calls of the Ummah, that is a key element to achieving the actual authority. Hizb incites the Islamic sentiment in the minds and breasts of the Muslims, indeed it is an urgent call as day by day the war on Islam intensifies and the number of Muslim causalities multiplies. Sadly the price paid is the bloodshed of the pure Muslim blood in the meantime.

Written for the Central Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir by

Um Muhanad