BY FIKRET BILA
MILLIYET- During the War Academy's ceremony opening the 2007-2008 school year, the first lesson was led by Land Forces Commander Gen. Ilker Basbug. It was a well-prepared analysis of the world, region and Turkey. Let's look at what he said:
1. The first message from Gen. Basbug was for the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP). Basbugh indirectly made a reference to making the definition and principle of secularism subject to new debate over a new Constitution, telling the AKP that functional definitions concerning the principle of secularism in the Constitution shouldn't be up for debate.
2. Gen. Basbug sent three messages to the US: firstly, the US has yet to apply sanctions against the terrorist PKK; secondly, the US should see and understand that any solution not supported by Turkey can't be a permanent solution for Iraq, that the PKK poses a critical threat to Turkey, and that now is the time not for speaking, but for taking action; and thirdly, even if Turkey lacks the power to direct developments in Iraq single-heartedly, it would be a mistake to think that it's not strong enough to hinder certain developments and make them costlier. What did Gen. Basbug mean by this least message? Obviously, he wanted to highlight Turkey's vital function in terms of northern Iraq. The Habur border gate is a venting pipe for northern Iraq. In addition, Turkey is its connection to the world, that is, for electricity, food, imports and exports. Similarly, it's not hard to guess how Turkey can be influential in northern Iraq in terms of stability and security. Turkey has the armed and unarmed forces that might make life harder in northern Iraq.
3. Gen. Basbug addressed the (Kurdish-dominated) Democratic Society Party (DTP) as well. Stressing that ethnic nationalism is the basis of separatist terrorism, Basbug said that giving ethnic identities a constitutional assurance is an oft-discussed issue. Thus, he indirectly gave the message that the requests of the PKK and the DTP, which follows the PKK's political line, are unacceptable. He said that these requests are meant to end the nation-state and the unitary state structure and that using Kurdish as a language of education is unacceptable. He emphasized that accepting and respecting certain ethnic groups' wish to learn their own (non-Turkish) language was something, and agreeing to give education in these languages was something else entirely. He added that the latter is incompatible with the concept of a nation-state.
4. In his speech, Basbug also said that postmodernist movements are influencing Turkey as well due to globalization and domestic factors and that they had opened up a space for religious and ethnic identities. He added that certain communities, using the model of religious organization, have been effective in the formation of new cultural identities and that the sector of society which stresses ethnic identities is politicized to a degree unprecedented in the history of the republic. Basbug also said that the modern approach takes necessary measures at necessary times and that the basic task of people and institutions protecting Ataturk's revolutions is to take necessary measures against developments at the right time and place.