Influence of Coup-Proofing Strategies on Military Emergency Responses

• In Event: Poster Session: Racial and Ethnic Politics & Security and MENA Politics
  In Poster Session: Poster Session: Security and MENA Politics

Abstract

In 2023, Turkey and Morocco were hit by two devastating earthquakes, reaching magnitudes
of 7.8 and 6.9 respectively. The brutality of the quakes prompted in both cases a swift
mobilization of national and international rescue teams, as well as civilian organizations. In the
aftermath of both disasters, the response of the military has come under scrutiny both nationally
and abroad, as the efficiency and promptness of these deployments were questioned. Notably,
the perception of the military as an extension of the ruling power led to the perceived
politicization of their response on the ground. This study aims to understand how trends in civil-military cooperation (CIMIC) in Turkey and Morocco, where civil powers have sought to exert
great control over the military, shaped the military’s emergency response and deployment
following the earthquakes. The chapter first examines the existing legal frameworks that govern
emergency responses in case of natural disasters and compares them with the on-the-ground
response to the recent earthquakes. This is followed by a discussion on the influence of the
coup-proofing and military institutionalization strategies, that both countries have pursued since
the 2000s and the 1970s respectively, in response to humanitarian emergencies. Lastly, by
triangulating critical policy and content analyses, the chapter interrogates the effects of
humanitarian emergencies in altering a country’s existing patterns of civil-military relations. In
this direction, this chapter argues that in the case of Turkey, the scale of military deployment
did not reflect the true capacity of the Turkish Armed Forces due to the ever-increasing levels
of civilian control over them since 2002. In Morocco, the high levels of institutionalization in the army hindered the quickness of the response, while recent changes in the army’s internal and external role provided it with valuable insights on how to respond to such an emergency.

Authors

• Maria Morato Bermejo, Bakboka

• Berfin Necimoglu, Arab Reform Initiative