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Meeting chaired by Erdogan names hawkish general to head armed forces
Land forces commander Ilker Basbug has been appointed head of Turkey's powerful armed forces.
- Reuters
- Published: 23:25 August 4, 2008
Ankara: Land forces commander Ilker Basbug has been appointed head of Turkey's powerful armed forces.
The general staff said in a statement on Monday Basbug would take charge of Nato's second biggest army on August 30 from retiring general Yasar Buyukanit, who has often clashed openly with the government.
Reputation
His hawkish reputation notwithstanding, Basbug is expected to avoid open confrontation with the Islamist-rooted governing AK Party.
The move comes as Turkey, a key US ally, hopes to put behind it a long power struggle between the powerful secularist establishment, including generals and judges, and the AK Party.
"Unlike the often impulsive incumbent Buyukanit, Basbug is known for his cool and calculating nature," said Wolfango Piccoli, an analyst at political risk think-tank Eurasia Group.
"The result will be less likelihood of abrupt escalations in civil-military tension, but at the same time more effective political pressure from the military."
Basbug's appointment was announced along with a flurry of other promotions and retirements after the annual meeting of Turkey's Higher Military Council, chaired by Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan. Board decisions will be sent to President Abdullah Gul for approval.
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