Turkey appoints secular general
Turkey appoints secular army chief
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Monday, 04, Aug 2008 06:56
Turkey has appointed a secular general, Ilker Basbug, as the new army chief.
General Basbug takes over from General Yasar Buyukanit on August 30th and state media is speculating that relations between the military and the government may change with his appointment.
A NATO Defense College graduate, General Basbug is a strong supporter of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation and also supports close ties with Israel.
In military circles, he is said to be nicknamed the "ice warrior" for his calm and pragmatic demeanor and is known as a hardliner.
The relationship between the government and the military can be strained as the Turkish government has Islamic roots while the military sees itself as the guardian of the country's secular society.
A military source told the Times that General Basbug will oppose any attempt by prime minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's government to move toward Islamic rule.
"Erdogan will find Basbug is a much more formidable opponent than his predecessor. He is a lot more subtle," according to the Time's source.
General Basbug, 65, will have the top job for the next two years.