The violence that unfolded during the failed coup attempt on July 15, 2016, has shaken Turkey’s political culture on many levels, including the relationship among gender, militarism, and nationalism. Both the brutality of the military against civilians and the collective violence targeting soldier bodies have created deep if transitory fractures in this relationship. One of the daunting tasks that awaits the ruling bloc in Turkey in the postcoup era will be the restoration of the military’s privileged place in the hegemonic constructions of masculinity and national identity.
On the coup night, low flying military jets terrorized urban centers and the air force targeted the parliament and progovernment security forces, while unarmed civilians confronted and were killed by military troops and tanks. Such acts of violence were appalling and unfathomable for the nation, except for the Kurdish region, where state violence had long gained an ordinary character. Yet, for large sectors...
