BY NASUHI GUNGOR
STAR - Chief of General Staff Gen. Ilker Basbug's press conference took place under the shadow of two incidents. The first was news from Diyarbakir that nine soldiers were killed yesterday. The other was a suicide attack against former Justice Minister Hikmet Sami Turk, which fortunately failed.
Basbug's style was somewhat harsh. Evidently, preparation for his statement and what reporters would ask made him nervous. He often said something along the lines of 'Ask whatever you want,' or 'I was expecting you to ask this, but you didn't.' This reflected his nervousness. Of course, the tragic news from Diyarbakir might have affected him. Besides this nervousness, Basbug gave the impression that he had worked very hard to prepare for possible questions. It was clear that he had studied the legal issues carefully. He stressed legal details in his answers to questions about the Ergenekon probe.
Along with his speech at the War Academies earlier this month, one of the most interesting points was his message about harmonization with the government. This message of harmonization clearly found its meaning in the questions about Armenia. He said that it was an important condition that Armenia withdraws from the lands it now occupies and that Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has made clear public statements about the issue which he agrees with fully. This emphasis was important. Basbug, who gave a number of harsh messages at both events, stressed his full agreement with the government.
Obviously, there are other things in his speech which could be stressed as well, but here's what got my interest: He said that the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) is devoted to and respectful of democracy and the rule of law, and thus nobody within the TSK can get involved in activities against the current democratic regime; this wouldn't be allowed.
I don't know how other people see this, but I believe his words carry importance for the immediate future. That's why I would like to repeat what I wrote following his speech earlier this month (and referred to in the title of today's column): The history of war tells you that if you declare somebody an enemy, someday you'll sit at the table with him and will have to start bargaining.