Turkey's powerful military Monday marked the anniversary of a 1922 victory that helped bring the country's secular system to power by warning that it is prepared to counter any upswing in activity by Islamic extremists. The staunchly secular military is suspicious of the Islamic-rooted governing party of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and of attempts to raise the profile of Islam in this predominantly Muslim but secular country. "The risks and threats that we face today ... force our armed forces to be even more vigilant and powerful ... especially at a time when certain circles are frequently questioning our national values and the patience and resolution of the Turkish Armed Forces is being tested," military chief of staff Gen. Hilmi Ozkok said. "The Turkish Armed Forces, with its full-hearted commitment to the Turkish Republic's pillars, play an important role in protecting the Turkish Republic's peace and stability," Ozkok said in his message to mark the 82nd anniversary of the country's victory over the invading forces of France, Britain, Italy and Greece.
| That would be a reminder to the current government. |
The military, the self-appointed guarantor of Turkey's secular regime, has staged three coups in the last four decades. In 1997, the military also pressured a pro-Islamic government out of power and has staunchly opposed any rise in radical Islam since then. Celebrations for "Victory Day" were held under tight security. In downtown Diyarbakir, the largest city in the Kurdish-dominated southeast, police defused a remote-controlled bomb believed to be planted by autonomy-seeking Kurdish rebels on a street used by local military and government officials, the governor's office said. |