The Deep State between Police Crimes and Social Movements: Will President Sisi be the Deep State’s next whipping boy?

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Introduction

Derin Devlet or, the ‘Deep State’, is a term used to describe a set of alliances and an extended network of relationships within a State. Originating in Turkey, the term appeared for the first time in political literature, referring to the secular State established by Ataturk after the defeat of the Ottoman Empire in World War I. This alliance has no specific form or tangible organisation, but it can include politicians, businessmen, security individuals, journalists and even artists. Sharing a common goal, the Deep State defends its interests and privileges outside the framework of the law, society and the State. In Egypt, the word 'Al Nezam' (or the System/ regime) used during the revolution can be considered a synonym for the Deep State, however, the term itself started to be more used after the revolution.

On 25 January of this year, Egypt was supposed to celebrate the fifth anniversary of its revolution. As well as army and police forces spread in the streets, proclaiming a State protection from any form of 'National Security breach', an Italian student was announced disappeared on the same day. Nine days later, he was found dead in a ditch with signs of torture all over his body. This article discusses the Egyptian Deep State existence between two contradictory forces: the rise of police brutality and some recent social movements. The Deep State and the Revolution

Before going in deep with the current situation, we should understand some essential attributes about the Deep State. The Deep State in Egypt has six axes: Political, Financial, Legislative, Judicial, Media and Executive or a Security axis. Each axis is moving towards a certain direction, ultimately acting in the interest of this Deep State. In addition to that, it is noted that all of them are moving harmoniously, which indicates the presence of a particular head or organism governing the whole process in order to prevent any interests of conflict. The Muslim Brotherhood, for example, were in direct relation with Mubarak’s Deep State, if not part of it. During Mubarak’s era, they were allowed to freely express their ideas and even to participate in the Egyptian Parliament. But when they succeeded in having more authority than they were allowed to have; ruled the Country and messed with the rules, they were expelled from the Deep State Paradise by a military coup.

Whatever the January Revolution brought to the country, let’s agree that it caused a certain disruption in the movement of each of the above areas. However, just over one year from the Revolution, we have seen in Egypt how the movement began to return to chime, posing a real threat to the Revolution’s principles. The return of the Police State: No one controls the Police brutality, a deliberate move?

As previously mentioned, the Executive or the Security axis is an organ that can’t be excluded from the Deep State structure. According to the last Amnesty International report, hundreds vanish at the hands of state security forces over the last year alone. “Five years since the uprising that ousted Mubarak, Egypt is once more a Police State”, explains Nicholas Piachaud, Egypt Researcher at Amnesty International. Also, the criminal justice system has become out of control. Nowadays, people can be behind bars for years without charge or trial, not to mention torture, including savage beatings, electric shocks and, of course, sexual violence. Although the above facts are stated in many reports released by Egyptian and International Research Centres and Human Rights Organization, the Egyptian Government keeps rejecting all of it, and considers any accusation part of a 'conspiracy plan' against the country, which is the exact scenario that happened during the investigation into the Italian student’s disappearance, when the Italian government discovered that he was kidnapped by some police officers and accused of being a spy.
The Deep State and current Social movements

Two days ago, Al Darb Al Ahmar Neighbourhood witnessed a brutal incident, when a police officer shot a van driver, due to a fare evading brawl. Thousands of angered residents of the neighbourhood demonstrated in front of the security headquarters in Cairo. Last week, thousands of doctors demonstrated against police violence suffered by their colleagues in public hospitals. Of course, such popular movements are a direct threat to the current regime, that’s why media is always used as a primary defence mechanism. Stressing other distracting incidents, describing protesters as 'thugs' or 'belonging to a terrorist group' or even confirming that the incident was part of a plan to disturb 'Egypt’s national security', these are all techniques used to decrease and undermine social movements. In the end, chaos must remain reigning in Egypt.
Will President Sisi be the Deep State’s next whipping boy?

In October 2015, the Cairo based news website, Mada Masr, published a report revealing the trial of 26 army officers with a charge of plotting a coup within the army. Consequently, Hossam Bahgat, the owner and report writer, was detained in jail for a couple of days. This indicates that there is indeed a battle going on behind the scenes. However, nothing is crystal clear yet. From one side, police excesses towards the people are increasing and obviously not ending soon. From another side, social movements are continuing: the doctors’ union continues to demonstrate and still rejects any form of violence from police officers against doctors, through protest and possible legal procedures. But what is certain, Sisi’s decisions appear weak and ineffective day after day. It is also obvious that Sisi is losing his popularity and trust among a majority that had faith in him since his appointment in 2013.

It is true that Winston Churchill said: "those that fail to learn from history, are doomed to repeat it ”. However, the situation in the Middle East and Egypt is no longer the same as before 2011, and Sisi can’t be compared to Mubarak. Two years ago, no one could have imagined that Sisi’s followers would protest against him and his government. Yet, giving up Sisi would be an unlikely prospect, even if there were to be more political and social deterioration in the future.