BY FIKRET BILA
MILLIYET- Chief of General Staff Gen. Ilker Basbug has been attracting attentions since he has taken over the general staff duty. A different celebration of May 19 was added to them. Gen. Basbug was an active panel participant at the General Staff Headquarters yesterday. This time May 19 was celebrated in an international panel for the first time. The panel, 'Ataturk, as a Soldier and Statesman, on his 128th Anniversary,' was moderated by Prof. Ilber Ortayli. The speakers were Prof. George W. Gawrych, Prof. Andrew Mango, Prof. Utkan Kocaturk, Prof. Serafettin Turan, Prof. Justin McCarthy and Prof. Salahi R. Sonyel. Thus six academics talked about various characteristics of Ataturk and Gen. Basbug was the most active participant with three questions he asked to panelists.
As is known, Gen. Baºbug places importance on academic studies and thus he commemorates May 19 with scientific declarations. Gen. Basbug loved the definition of Ataturk as the 'thinking soldier' which was made by a panelist. He stressed that this definition expressed it very well that soldiers should place importance on academic studies and the scientific thinking habits. His celebration of May 19 in a academic meeting at the General Staff Headquarters was also a message for the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) members.
The break which was taken at the end of the first panel coincided with the funeral service for Prof. Turkan Saylan, the head of Support for Contemporary Living Association who passed away last week. I said to Gen. Basbug that he had gave the message about Saylan, reminding him of the message of respect which was sent by the colonel who made the opening speech of the panel. In turn, he said that the TSK owes Saylan not only a message, but also commemoration.
Gen. Basbug's wife Sevil Basbug was very sad that she couldn't have attended the funeral service for Saylan. She said that she was planning to attend the funeral service, but it was postponed to May 19 and thus she couldn't go there due to the celebration of May 19 and that this situation had made her very sad. When I asked her if she had met Saylan, she said no, but added that she has been following her efforts very closely and that she has respected and admired her very much, because she was an exemplary Turkish woman, just like Ataturk wanted all the Turkish women to become.
This panel which aims at commemorating Ataturk is the first work that Basbug plans to organize as a serial. Furthermore, commemoration panels will be held for Marshal Fevzi Cakmak, Ismet Inonu and Kazim Karabekir as part of the same understanding. Cakmak will be commemorated at the headquarters in April and Inonu in December this year, and Karabekir in 2010. It is known that Karabekir, one of the leading figures in our War of Independence, has been contradictory to Ataturk. He was Ataturk's opponent in the process of testing the Progressive Republican Party. He was also tried due to the assassination against Ataturk in Izmir. Although he was acquitted later, he could have never got along with Ataturk.
The involvement of Karabekir in these national independence heroes to be commemorated attracted my attention. I asked Gen. Basbug if this could be considered as a reestablishment in terms of Karabekir. He said that this wasn't a matter of reestablishment, because if they had attempted at commemorating a great many commanders who have been next to Ataturk in our War of Independence, they would have had to hold a meeting everyday. He added that there were three leading figures next to Ataturk, namely, Inonu, Cakmak and Karabekir and that they have chosen them, as they aren't interested in the political period following the War of Independence, but in their functions in the war. Gen. Basbug added that this wasn't made with a political consideration, as this would be held for the first time for Inonu and Cakmak as well. Gen. Basbug displays the picture of an innovative commander who is able to carry out different openings and place importance on academic studies. The celebration of May 19 that we followed yesterday was one of the reflections of this situation.