BY ISMAIL KUCUKKAYA
AKSAM- This year's international symposium by the General Staff coincided with a highly critical period. The General Staff's Strategic Research and Study Center (SAREM) brought the issue of the Middle East to the international society's agenda. Two highest-ranking commanders of the Turkish Armed Forces yesterday reflected Turkey's stance on the Middle East in Istanbul and underlined the importance of developments for us. Thus the message was given that each development in this region concerns Turkey. Obviously, Chief of General Staff Gen. Yasar Buyukanit and Land Forces Commander Gen. Ilker Basbug sent necessary messages to Brussels and Washington through a considerably careful and diplomatic style.
As the frame which was formed is relevant to the unitarian state structure and the secular system, statements directed towards foreign countries also serve the purpose of reiterating something for Turkey as well. The timing is also striking. We're now in a vital calendar in terms of the Middle East, Iraq and Iran. Buyukanit's warning on the moderate Islam was a reference to certain addresses in the US. Both commanders avoided possible polemics about politics and law. But of course legal organs won't allow such ascriptions as the moderate Islam, because this consists of a general interpretation and message. Those words by Buyukanit excited reporters very much, because at that time the Constitutional Court was discussing a decision on the headscarf issue and then announced its decision in a few hours.
Commanders have been very sensitive for many months. They don't speak, but avoid polemics and reiterate the TSK's unchangeable institutional policies. They're probably trying to prevent misunderstandings. There was a considerable participation from the international society to the symposium. Among the participants were retired generals, Istanbul Mayor, rectors and the inter-universities commission head. As the issue was the Middle East, Ahmet Davutodlu, chief advisor to the prime minister, was also there. He said that things in the Middle East weren't as bad as people thought.
The opening speech made by Buyukanit was closed to polemics and his messages were short and clear. He showed a large picture of the Middle East and emphasized Turkey's key role and the importance of radical religious trends and terrorist links in the Middle East. Subsequently, his criticisms on such ascriptions as the moderate Islam were a strategic one. The main theme of his speech was that Turkey's secular structure was the key of peace in the world and the region's stability. Basbug said that high-level and full-capacity measures were taken on Iranian and Iraqi borders and that the terrorist PKK was shaken greatly and thus still under the influence of this blow.
We asked him his thoughts about the Southeast Anatolian Project (GAP). He was welcoming this and said that they had been saying it for months that there were many dimensions of the fight against terrorism. He stated that a TV channel broadcasting in Kurdish could be useful, if it can save the people from propagandas of the TV channel of terrorists. These two stances are vitally important, as they show the Land Forces Command's stance on the issue. Both these statements and our conversations show that messages were sent as part of a successfully drawn framework and limits and Turkey's unchangeable principles were conveyed and the necessary emphasis was made for the Middle East as well. The successful organization by the General Staff's Communication and Protocol Departments deserve praises. Second Chief of General Staff Gen. Ergin Saygun with whom he talked at the dining hall was also pleased with these developments. He told us the importance of selecting a good speaker and said that the sun of reality shines with a conflict of ideas. The sun of reality was shining yesterday at the War Colleges Command in Istanbul.