Turkey’s top general offers new vision of military, democracy and secularism

Turkish General Ilker Basbug is offering a new take on the military’s support for pluralistic democracy.

By Ayhan Simsek for Southeast European Times in Ankara — 16/04/09

Chief of Staff General Ilker Basbug offered a new vision of the military’s role in Turkish society during a speech at Istanbul’s War Academy on Tuesday (April 14th). Addressing a largely academic audience, which included Turkey’s future military leaders, Basbug redefined secularism and rejected an ethnically based definition of Turkish citizenship.

He also reaffirmed the military’s strong commitment to a “pluralistic” democracy and pledged to look into “civil-military relations, the fight against terrorism, democracy and secularism from an academic perspective”.

Because the military views itself as the ultimate guardian of Turkey’s secular system, it has had an uneasy relationship with the Islamist-rooted ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP). Following the AKP’s electoral victory in 2002, the military’s rhetoric intensified. It opposed AKP candidate and current President Abdullah Gul’s nomination in 2007.

However, its strident rhetoric proved counterproductive; the AKP made gains in the 2007 early elections.

Complicating the military’s position is the ongoing Ergenekon probe, which has led police to detain nearly 200 suspects, including retired generals and active military, for allegedly plotting against the AKP government. Illegal wiretaps leaked to government-friendly media have added to the atmosphere of fear.

Basbug’s remarks echo secularists’ concerns about the AKP’s increasing “authoritarian” tendencies after its 2007 electoral victory. They argue the Ergenekon case has turned into a tool for intimidating AKP opponents.

To address these concerns, Basbug emphasised the importance of the separation of powers, the rule of law and an independent judiciary as pillars of pluralistic democracy. In past statements, generals unceasingly underlined the threat of fundamentalism and expressed determination to protect secularism at all costs.

But Basbug said the military “has never been and will never be against religion”. He differentiated between devout Muslims and religion-centred groups who use Islam for their personal or political interests.

“The thought that religion may become a tool to attain objectives is the greatest injury to be inflicted on religion itself,” Basbug said. He vowed the general staff would not fail, within the bounds of the law, to resist efforts to damage the military.

Milliyet columnist Fikret Bila interpreted Basbug’s remarks as aiming to change perceptions of the military among devout Muslims. But they are also a warning to religion-centred interest groups.

Basbug said such groups have orchestrated a media campaign to feed “prejudices” against the military. To counteract that alleged effort, it has loosened its accreditation rules. Present at the War Academy were journalists who previously could not gain accreditation.

“This speech represents a paradigm shift in the Turkish General Staff. These openings are the first steps. It is better to support them with constructive criticism rather than simply looking down on them,” CNN Turk TV commentator Ali Saydam said.