Turkish Republic is a unitary state, Chief of General Staff Gen. İlker Başbuğ reiterates

In the message, Başbuğ also touched on the ongoing debate about the democratic initiative introduced by the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) to settle the long-standing Kurdish problem, saying: “As it is expressed in the third article of the Constitution of the Turkish Republic, which cannot be changed, Turkey is a single undivided state with its country and the nation. Its language is Turkish. The Turkish Armed Forces supports the nation-state and the unitary state of Turkey.”

Recalling that the TSK will not be involved in any activities that aim to establish relations with terrorist organizations and their supporters, Gen. Başbuğ noted that it is unacceptable for those who take advantage of the opportunities provided by democracy to tolerate terrorism, which targets people's basic right to live.

“The Turkish Armed Forces is respectful of cultural differences. However, it cannot regard it possible for cultural differences to be politicized and become societal political identity elements in the Constitution of the Turkish Republic,” the statement said.

Başbuğ also noted that the freedom to debate cannot include topics that put the existence of the state at risk and cause polarization, division and conflict in the country.