BY ERHAN BASYURT
ZAMAN- Columnist Erhan Basyurt comments on recent statements by two top Turkish military leaders, Chief of General Staff Gen. Hilmi Ozkok and his deputy Gen. Yasar Buyukanit. A summary of his column is as follows:
The Turkish Armed Forces’ (TSK) role in our political decision-making mechanisms has been the object of recent criticism from both the European Union and the United States.
The EU argues that military affairs in Turkey are not controlled as they should be by the civilian administration, a situation which it sees as an obstacle to starting Turkey’s membership negotiations. It also claims that the TSK is blocking certain political reforms that our Parliament needs to approve towards fulfilling the EU’s political criteria.
The US had taken an impartial stance on this issue prior to the Iraq war, but is now criticizing the TSK for entirely different reasons. Some US officials have accused the Turkish military of failing to ‘veto’ the elected civilian government’s position on the war in Iraq. The Turkish army’s statements during the war stressing ‘red lines’ and ‘unilateral action’ were regarded by these US officials as ‘unpleasant threats.’
Chief of General Staff Gen. Hilmi Ozkok last week spoke to a group of Turkish journalists to address recent media reports alleging a growing disaffection with the current Islamist-oriented government among low-level Turkish soldiers. Vehemently denying these reports, Gen. Ozkok tried to lay out the reasons behind the Turkish military’s recent stance on Iraq. Then just a few days later, Deputy Chief of General Staff Gen. Yasar Buyukanit delivered a key speech at a ‘Globalization and International Security’ symposium, a speech carrying sharp messages to both the EU and the US. Stressing that there had been much media speculation over the military's unhappiness with the current government, Buyukanit blasted such reports as nothing but ‘unjustified attacks.’ He also added that the TSK had never opposed Turkey’s EU membership, a goal which it has always seen a ‘must’ for the country’s welfare. He also called on the EU to give up its prejudices against Turkey.
Buyukanit also conveyed important messages to the US, using the veiled term ‘powerful countries,’ which includes both the US and developed European countries. Underlining that developed and developing countries have divergent definitions of national threats, he criticized ‘powerful countries’ for imposing their own understanding of security on other countries and jeopardizing these countries’ national interests in the process.
He also added that powerful countries had tried to chasten developing countries by using ‘asymmetric strategies’ such as ‘supporting separatist indigenous movements’ and ‘cutting financial assistance.’ Buyukanit also argued that globalization was sometimes a tool for powerful countries to exploit developing countries, for instance by taking advantage of ethnic tensions.
The statements by these two generals demonstrate that the TSK has new perspectives on Turkey’s national policies.
SOURCE: OFFICE OF THE PRIME MINISTER, DIRECTORATE GENERAL OF PRESS AND INFORMATION