Turkey's new top general firm on secularism, nation-state, US ties, EU membership

01/09/2008

General Ilker Basbug, new chief of the Turkish General Staff, says a pluralistic democracy requires the preservation of secularism. He considers Turkish-US relations "excellent" and calls for fair EU treatment of Ankara's membership bid.

By Ayhan Simsek for Southeast European Times -- 01/09/08

"Turkish-American relations are deeply rooted and built on common values," said General Ilker Basbug. [Getty Images]

General Ilker Basbug became chief of the Turkish General Staff last week and gave a key speech to outline his views on secularism, the nation-state and globalisation.

A months-long power struggle in Turkey between the Islamist-rooted Justice and Development Party (AKP) government and secularists led by the military focused attention on the turnover of the military's top position.

Basbug, in a long-awaited address, expressed the military's commitment to democracy and democratic principles but raised concern over the increasing Islamisation of society under the AKP.

"Part of our society fears a new cultural identity and lifestyle in Turkey under the domination of religion emerging. These fears should be taken seriously," Basbug said.

Commander of the Turkish Land Forces in the past two years, he firmly advocates preservation of the secular, unitary character of the Turkish nation-state.

"General Basbug took over the most difficult position at a most difficult time," veteran liberal columnist Mehmet Ali Birand wrote in the daily Milliyet. Birand credits the general for possessing "outstanding qualifications" at such a time.

According to Birand, Basbug is renowned for his deep knowledge of political-military issues and realism.

During the handover ceremony, the scholarly Basbug cited philosopher Jurgen Habermas in emphasising the need to preserve the nation-state against the challenges of globalisation.

Leading actors of globalisation try to strengthen their national structures to address the challenges of globalisation. We cannot ignore that this holds true for the United States and the European Union member-states as well, he stressed.

Weighing the nationalism principle and Kurdish issue, Basbug signalled support for expanding cultural rights for Turkey's ethnic Kurds but ruled out any move to confer "group rights", which he said would undermine the nation-state structure.

Like many top-ranking Turkish generals, Basbug has a NATO background. He served as chief of logistics and infrastructure at Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE) in Mons, Belgium, and as commander of the 1st Armoured Brigade in Istanbul.

During his first address as the top Turkish commander last week, he described military relations with the United States as "excellent" and praised US help in countering the terrorist Kurdistan Workers' Army. "Turkish-American relations are deeply rooted and built on common values," he said.

He had a message for the EU as well. Basbug called on Brussels to give Ankara the treatment enjoyed by other EU membership candidates.

He pointed to the EU's strategic needs and warned the 27-member bloc's influence would end in the Balkans, falling short of the Caucasus and the Middle East, if it did not admit Turkey. Besides, he said, Turkey is the most powerful secular democracy in the region.

Това съдържание е изготвено специално за SETimes.com