---
title: "Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan: “Injustice and Polarization Pave the Way for Coups”"
description: "A panel was organized by Üsküdar University and the Association of Defenders of Justice (ASDER) on the 6th anniversary of the July 15 coup attempt."
url: https://uha.com.tr/prof-dr-nevzat-tarhan-injustice-and-polarization-pave-the-way-for-coups
type: article
language: en
last_updated: 2026-03-01
category: haber
---

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# Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan: “Injustice and Polarization Pave the Way for Coups”

## Bilgi

| Özellik | Değer |
|---------|-------|
| **Kategori** | haber |
| **Yayın Tarihi** | 2022-07-07 |
| **Güncelleme** | 2026-03-01 |
| **Kaynak** | [Üsküdar Haber Ajansı](https://uha.com.tr/prof-dr-nevzat-tarhan-injustice-and-polarization-pave-the-way-for-coups) |

## Özet

**Speaking at the panel organized by Üsküdar University and the Association of Defenders of Justice (ASDER) on the 6th anniversary of the July 15 coup attempt, ASDER President Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan said that those who desire a coup should not be given an excuse for coups to be prevented. Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan, noting that injustice and polarization would pave the way for coups, said, “Where there is justice, trust emerges, and where there is trust, sedition does not arise. There have always been those who want to stir up sedition. Let's not comfort or deceive ourselves by attributing the July 15 issue to external causes.” Tarhan, stating that many mistakes were made by society, the administration, and decision-makers leading up to July 15, said, “If we acknowledge these mistakes and learn from them, we can succeed in preventing new coups. It is essential to understand the mistakes well.”**

## İçerik

![](https://cdn.uskudar.edu.tr/uploads/images/2022/07/07/800/nevzat-tarhan-3.png)

In cooperation with Üsküdar University and the Association of Defenders of Justice (ASDER), a panel titled “How to Prevent Coups from a Soldier’s Perspective?” was organized on the 6th anniversary of the July 15 coup attempt. The online panel was moderated by ASDER Secretary General, Retired Major Gürcan Onat.

**Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan: “A Diagnosis Regarding the Coup Must First Be Made”**

ASDER President Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan began his speech by stating that they would write a prescription for preventing coups at the panel. Tarhan said, “It's very similar to writing a prescription for a disease. There isn't a clinical medical condition or any medical illness, but there is a social illness. In medicine, there is the 3T rule: diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up. If the diagnosis is correct but the treatment is wrong, the diagnosis is in vain. If the diagnosis and treatment are correct, but the follow-up is not done properly, the efforts are still in vain. Therefore, it is important for these 3Ts to be together. Here, we must first make a diagnosis regarding the coup. In what environment does a coup occur? One of the important examples guiding the diagnosis is the September 12 coup, which was the biggest coup in Turkey after May 27.”

**Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan: “They Make People Dependent and Ensure Coups Achieve Their Goals”**

Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan, stating that coup plotters employ psychological warfare methods, said, “They frighten people, make them dependent, and ensure coups achieve their goals. Because if a segment of society is against them, they cannot stage a coup. We established the Association of Defenders of Justice in 2000. In the association, 1,500 – 1,600 individuals who had left the armed forces sought their legal rights. This is a civil society movement. There is also civil disobedience. Where there is civil disobedience, weapons have no effect. The Arab world could not produce a Gandhi. Because it couldn't, it failed to achieve results there by engaging in civil disobedience.”

![](https://cdn.uskudar.edu.tr/uploads/images/2022/07/07/800/444.PNG)

**Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan: “Unexpressed Needs Somehow Find a Way”**

Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan pointed out that those who desire civil war or a coup now want to pit society against each other, create tension, and exploit it, and continued his words as follows:

“For coups to occur, an environment must first exist. If the environment does not form, the coup does not yield results. The biggest reason for the failure of the July 15 coup attempt was the absence of a sociological base to carry out a coup. There was no economic justification. People were not struggling with hunger and poverty. There was no situation to object to politically. There were serious prejudices against coups among the public. On May 27, the pro-democracy public suffered a coup; on September 12, leftist factions suffered a severe coup. On February 28, right-wing factions suffered a coup. Almost no one had escaped a coup from militarism. Afterwards, a reaction against coups formed among the public. Such a psychological reason also underlies the automatic civilian reaction on July 15. There is a saying in psychology: Unexpressed needs somehow find a way. If a need for a coup arises, a way will certainly be found. However, if the system is functioning healthily, those who are capable remain, those who cannot go, and if there is a system that can undergo such a transformation internally, then they prefer to wait.”

**Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan: “No Excuse Should Be Given to Those Who Want a Coup”**

Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan emphasized that no excuse should be given to those who want a coup, saying, “If a child in a family constantly rebels, discrimination is usually practiced in that family. The mother, who is the leader of the family, supports one child, and the father supports the other. This is called vertical coalition. Two poles are formed, and this creates competition. Consequently, fair sharing cannot be spoken of. Where there is justice, trust emerges, and where there is trust, sedition does not arise. There have always been those who want to stir up sedition. Let's not comfort or deceive ourselves by attributing the July 15 issue to external causes. Humankind is a master of self-deception. Many mistakes were made by society, the administration, and decision-makers leading up to July 15. If we acknowledge these mistakes and learn from them, we can succeed in preventing new coups. It is essential to understand the mistakes well. If there is a vertical coalition in society, if those who govern society favor one group, practice discrimination, and the other group becomes victimized, they will organize, become marginalized, radicalized, and after a while, if they cannot find another option, they will take action.”

**Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan: “Polarizing the Public Paves the Way for a Coup”**

Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan stated that for unity abroad, there must also be unity at home, saying, “One who cannot achieve unity at home cannot achieve unity abroad. You must ensure peace at home, and only then can peace be achieved outside. Currently, polarizing society and viewing a segment of society as an enemy strongly prepares the psychological and sociological ground desired by a coup. After that, there will be no need to wonder why a coup occurred. Society should not be put into a ‘Let them come and save us’ psychology. It is necessary to uphold societal values and manage to distinguish them in this era.”

**Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan: “NATO Cleaned Up, But We Didn't Clean Up Gladio in Our Country”**

Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan continued his words by stating that the coup should be evaluated from the perspective of the armed forces as well as society:

“They cleaned up Gladio in all NATO armies. We did not clean up Gladio. Even Luxembourg abolished Gladio after the Cold War ended. We did not dismantle Gladio; we understood that the FETÖ organization had taken its place. They subtly settled in Gladio’s stead. After seizing special forces, they started creating an incredible cadre within the armed forces. They took over the armed forces by disrupting their immune system. The General Staff must also engage in self-criticism here. They should not take the easy way out by saying civilian authority was an obstacle. Silence should not be kept when such a situation is observed. The aide-de-camp of the Chief of General Staff turns out to be a member of the organization. This is negligence. Therefore, lessons must be learned from this. If lessons are not learned, we will continue to make new mistakes. If there are systems in society that do not comply with fairness, new FETÖ organizations are likely to emerge. Many traitors have emerged from this geography. They are always present where there is self-interest.”

**Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan: “We Need to Make the Right Diagnosis”**

Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan emphasized that if we do not see our own responsibility by saying everything is the work of a 'mastermind,' reality blindness will occur, saying, “The late Menderes is said to have appeared gentle, but during that period, he gave İnönü a three-week ban from attending parliament. He provoked the opposing side tremendously. Even if they didn't want to stage a coup, he compelled them as if it were the only option. He first demonized the opposition and then satanized them. Therefore, it is important for us to make the right diagnosis here.”

**Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan: “Military Cadets Who Do Not Consider a Coup as an Option Must Be Trained”**

Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan stated that in older times, democracy lessons were not given in military academies, saying, “Lessons that extol democracy were never included. In fact, democracy was viewed as populism. They adopted an approach thinking that the people were a herd, that they didn't understand, and that they themselves could best govern the people. This approach seriously influenced the coup mentality. If there is a coup ideology and the conditions are suitable, someone will always emerge who wants to stage a coup. It is necessary to train military cadets who mentally do not consider a coup as an option.”

**Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan: “Pressure and Threat Feed Their Opposite”**

Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan emphasized that the highest level of democracy is full obedience to civilians and concluded his words as follows: “Sometimes objections are raised, but when I talk about democracy, some people come and ask why I defend the 'system of profanity.' I state that democracy is governance based on consent. Is a governance based on consent closer to Islam, or is a governance carried out with pressure and tyranny closer to Islam? Of course, governance based on consent is closer to Islam. If we ask what the fundamental law of this era is, we say freedom of conscience, we say democracy. When this is not adhered to, prices are paid. It is important to make the right diagnosis both within the armed forces and within society. It is also very important to maintain the balance of power and justice in society. If there is no power, being just is not enough. If there is power but it is not just, that power cannot be sustained. This is a very delicate balance. People should not be led to say that there is no other option but a coup. When we look at the life of Prophet Muhammad, we see that he applied the method of persuasion, conviction, and inspiring love. He did not encourage a culture of fear. Instead of a culture of fear, he created a culture of trust. Afterwards, with the Umayyads, a culture of fear emerged. In environments dominated by fear, hypocrites multiply the most. Presenting fear as a form of governance has an inciting effect on coup plotters. There is a rule in psychology: pressure and threat feed their opposite. Traditionally, monarchical governance began during the Umayyad era.”

**Retired Medical Colonel Hasan Hüseyin Uludağ: “The Fate Regarding Coups Will Change”**

ASDER Vice President and Ankara Branch Head, Retired Medical Colonel Hasan Hüseyin Uludağ, provided information on the history of coups in the world and Turkey, touching upon the 1960 coup, the 1980 coup, the February 28 process, and the events and process leading up to the July 15 coup. Uludağ, offering recommendations on preventing coups, said that necessary measures should be taken in public administration regulations, legal arrangements, deployment and command of military units, and competent and effective intelligence. Hasan Hüseyin Uludağ, noting that the fate regarding coups will now change, said, “As ASDER, we will fight with all our might to prevent those who betray the state and the nation, to ensure the eradication of the coup mentality, and for coup plotters to receive the punishment they deserve.”

At the panel, Retired Colonel Mustafa Hacımustafaoğulları, Retired Colonel Arif Çelenk, Retired Colonel Kemal Mete, Retired Colonel Lawyer N. Kemal Urhan, Retired Master Sergeant Mehmet Kanmaz, Retired Master Sergeant Faruk Altunbay, and Retired Master Sergeant Necmettin Keleş also shared their testimonies of what they experienced on July 15. They also offered recommendations on preventing coups.

---

*Kaynak: [Üsküdar Haber Ajansı](https://uha.com.tr) — https://uha.com.tr/prof-dr-nevzat-tarhan-injustice-and-polarization-pave-the-way-for-coups*