The military issued a memorandum-like statement saying that Islamic reactionary activities were expanding in scope and vowing that it would fulfill its "lawful duties" to protect the state. The statement came on Friday night, hours after Parliament held the first round of the presidential election.In a statement posted on its Web site, the General Staff said it was following with "concern" the debate over Turkey's secular system in the presidential elections and would "openly display its position and attitudes when it becomes necessary."
"It should not be forgotten that the Turkish armed forces are a side in this debate and are a staunch defender of secularism," it said. "The Turkish armed forces are against those debates ... and will display its position and attitudes when it becomes necessary. No one should doubt that."
Foreign Minister Abdullah Gül, the sole candidate in the presidential election, failed to be elected to the post since the number of votes he garnered was less than 367, the minimum amount to qualify for election. Secularist state establishment views prospects for a candidate from the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) taking over the presidency with suspicion, claiming that this would divert the republic from its secular path. The AK Party denies it has an Islamic agenda and says it is committed to democracy and reform.
The General Staff statement openly said that it had concerns over secularism: "The Islamic reactionary mentality that is against the Republic and that has no purpose but undermining the basic characters of our state is being encouraged and expanding its scope," it said. It cited as an example a series of events, such as a failed attempt in Ankara to hold a Koran reading competition on April 23, Children and National Sovereignty Day.
"Developments in our region offer a lot of examples on how playing with religion and the use of religion as a tool to achieve certain goals could prove to be disastrous," the statement said, citing the recent killing of three Christian missionaries at a publishing house in the eastern province of Malatya as an example.
The statement also said such behaviors and actions stood in "total contradiction" with the principle of being "loyal to the principle of secularism in essence, not in words," a reference to a speech Gen. Yaşar Büyükanıt made on April 12 while commenting on how Turkey's next president should be.
"Recently, the main issue emerging in connection with presidential election has focused on a debate over secularism. This is viewed with concern by the Turkish Armed Forces," it said.
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