The following assessment was written by Ali Bayramoğlu, a journalist, writer and political commentator from Turkey. Mr Bayramoğlu explores the relationship between the government and the military in Turkey, considering its history and how it has shaped Turkish affairs in recent years, including the Kurdish issue. This report examines the hierarchy of the Turkish military, as well as levels of civilian oversight and how it compares to other nations in the West. Mr Bayramoğlu also analyses the role of the Gülenist movement leading to the 2016 coup attempt, which marked a defining moment in the military-civilian relationship. In the report, Mr Bayramoğlu provides a detailed report of the ‘Military Tutelage’ system that has led to the unique relationship between the Turkish Government and Military and considers what reforms have occurred that have changed the nature of this relationship. The report also explains the current recruitment and composition of the Turkish military and considers how this may affect any future relationship changes between the Government and Armed Forces, such as potential politicisation and polarisation. The views and opinions expressed in the report remain those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official position of DPI. This research was funded by the Norwegian and Irish governments.