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Europe
Turkey: Army will protect country from Islamists
2006-09-26
A top Turkish general said Monday that increasingly powerful Islamist forces threatened Turkey's secular system and that the army would play its role in defending the country against them, the state-run news agency reported.
Mighty big saber he's rattling.
General Ilker Basbug's comments appeared aimed at both the Islamic-rooted government of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and at EU officials who have repeatedly called on the Turkish military to limit its role in state affairs. The military views itself as the protector of Turkey's secular identity. Fiercely secular generals have directly led three coups since 1961 and ousted a government from power in 1997 for what they saw as an excessive Islamist bent.
Posted by:Fred

#8  SInce the founding of modern Turkey by Ataturk, the army has viewed it's role as a keeper of the secular state. The general is quite serious, and Erdogan knows it.
Posted by: DMFD   2006-09-26 23:02  

#7  Popcorn futures up this morning.
Posted by: wxjames   2006-09-26 10:01  

#6  Trouble is, the Army is a big weapon, so it will need a big target. Thus far, the big problem does not seem to be Erdogan; he's a symptom. Replacing him would only bring the return of worse at the next election unless something is done about the root cause.

So will the Army root out the Islamofascists at the local mosque level? This would take lots of C3I. Could they do it without leakage resulting in pre-emptive actions and civil war? Or will they go the wash, rinse, repeat cycle?
Posted by: Lauren Bacall   2006-09-26 06:41  

#5  I've been waiting for some time to see whether the generals are still secular and if they would reassert their old role.

It's clear the EU won't let them in on full terms in any case. Given that and given the Kurdish situation, a move is not unlikely.
Posted by: lotp   2006-09-26 05:19  

#4  yeah, yeah. Sure. Believe it when I see it.
Posted by: anon   2006-09-26 04:57  

#3  So far, the army has been Turkey's saving grace both in actions reported and in those not reported. They'll do it up to a point. And that point is probably higher up than many would give them credit for.
Posted by: gorb   2006-09-26 02:23  

#2  The leader of Turkey is an Islamist. Seculars are a rarity in Dar-Islam.
Posted by: Snease Shaiting3550   2006-09-26 01:28  

#1  Yeah, yeah. How 'bout more walk & less talk...
Posted by: PBMcL   2006-09-26 01:22  

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