BY M. ALI KISLALI
RADIKAL- President Ahmet Necdet Sezer and Chief of General Staff Gen. Yasar Buyukanit both recently gave historic speeches. Sezer warned of problems eroding the Republic's constitutional legal basis and the regime's foundation and spoke of the Turkish Armed Forces' (TSK) place and duties. Gen. Buyukanit was on the same page as Sezer, and gave open signals of how to approach to the TSK's new era. Both of the speeches should be published in the form of booklets to be used to educate people uninformed about current events. The public should be told about the highest-level military and civilian evaluations which weren't expressed completely, particularly over the last four years. The latest speech made by Sezer, who displays an exemplary stance in order to protect the constitutional regime, is unforgettable. This evaluation showed the basic dimension, which has great similarities between the Presidential Palace and the chief of General Staff. I think we'll continue to see the signs of this healthy until the end of Sezer's term next spring. Sezer spoke about the TSK's mission and legal place in protecting the regime. The claims that the TSK talks about certain issues which don't concern it are groundless, under his analysis.
Upon this sound legal basis, Gen. Buyukanit announced his decisions about what is and what will be the TSK's approach. The point in common during civilian and military summits is the need to protect the democratic regime from the threat of fundamentalism and separatism. As long as the image that the constitutional regime can't be protected by civilian institutions continues, the TSK will continue to carry out its task. Before the series of military speeches which started with Land Forces Commander Gen. Ilker Basbug's and continued with addresses by Air Forces Commander Gen. Faruk Comert and Naval Forces Commander Vice Adm. Yener Karahanodlu, and ended with Gen. Buyukanit's speech, the speech made by Sezer prepared a strong basis for the military evaluations. Important issues that should be discussed aren't limited to the threat of fundamentalism and terrorism. They must be evaluated separately. However, it should be noted that the TSK has been determined to talk about the activities of certain domestic and foreign forces which want to damage the public's respect for it. Thus, the General Staff's unmasking certain evaluations and suggestions lacking sincerity will be beneficial for people of good will who want to learn about these issues. It should be noted that the remarks made by Gen. Buyukanit and the Force Commanders have already been assimilated by the TSK, and politicians should make their calculations accordingly. These remarks haven't been made before, because of the chiefs of staff's change of style.