14 October 2009 / SABAH NAZLI ILICAK,
The 2009 European Union progress report once again criticizes the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK). But if we were to put our hand on our heart and make an assessment, we could say that Chief of General Staff Gen. İlker Başbuğ has been relatively more sensitive than his predecessors in keeping a distance between himself and politics.
In the past, generals would seize every opportunity to attack the government and affirm that they were “protecting and guarding the republic.” It was later revealed that a group within the army was preparing to stage a coup and leaders of the group were scolding the ruling power to keep the team on fire. Başbuğ delivered his most recent speech in Mardin (Sept. 21). He uttered words that emphasized Turkey's unitary structure and supported the democratic initiative. However, the general has not issued any statement since then due to the opposition's reaction.
