Religious and secular, rich and poor, every man served in the Turkish military, and to all, the urban elite and pious poor, it was a symbol of Turkish identity. Through a series of sensational trials, based partly on fabricated evidence, many secular military officers were jailed in recent years on charges of plotting a coup. Many leaders in Turkey’s staunchly secular military are concerned that Mr. Erdogan will fill the vacancies with religious allies. The Turkish military is a crucial ally in fighting terrorism, reining in the Islamic State, and in controlling the migrant tide that has overwhelmed Europe. They told us there was an exercise.’ ”The Turkish military, the second largest in NATO, has a budget of roughly $20 billion a year and counts an army of more than 500,000 soldiers.

Source: New York Times July 28, 2016 19:21 UTC