Turkey Appoints Anti-islamist Army Chief

Turkey's powerful military sent out an uncompromising message of support for the country's secular system yesterday by appointing a new head of the army known for his staunch opposition to Islamism.

Announced at a meeting of the supreme military council, General Ilker Basbug, 65, replaces retiring incumbent General Yasar Buyukanit as army chief of staff and will hold the post until 2010.

Though Basbug is strong advocate of Nato and Turkey's relationship with Israel, his appointment is expected to herald an easing of tensions between the military and the Justice and Development party (AKP) government. Last week the AKP narrowly escaped being dissolved by the constitutional court for allegedly trying to create an Islamic state. That decision ended months of uncertainty after the chief prosecutor had sought the closure of the party, which has Islamist roots.

However, the court effectively put the AKP on probation by depriving the party of half its annual state funding after ruling that it had been a "focal point of anti-secularism", creating potential for continued secular-religious friction.

Basbug, previously the army's land forces commander, is seen as lower key than Buyukanit, who was widely blamed for leading the army into a losing confrontation with the AKP last year with an unsuccessful attempt to prevent the former foreign minister, Abdullah Gul, from becoming president because of concerns about his Islamist past.

However, the new military chief is expected to take as equally tough a line as his predecessor on upholding the secular state established by Ataturk, of which the army is seen as the primary protector.

Two years ago Basbug publicly identified political Islam as a threat, telling military cadets: "Intentional, constant and systematic attempts are being made to erode the achievements of the Kemalist [Ataturk] revolution. Turning religion into an ideology will politicize it and religion will then be the biggest loser."

Yet some commentators say that as army chief of staff Basbug will adopt a less confrontational approach.

"The military is the sole appointed guardian of the foundation of the Turkish republic, so they will be allergic to any kind of Islamism," wrote Cengiz Candar in the Turkish newspaper Referans. "But after what we have just passed through, he will be much more cautious than Buyukanit."

In June supporters claimed Basbug was the victim of a smear campaign after the pro-Islamist Vakit newspaper published photographs of him at Jerusalem's Western Wall and suggested he was "close to Jews".

Other reports implied that Basbug had sought to interfere in the prosecution case against the AKP by holding "secret" and "mysterious" meetings with the constitutional court's deputy chairman.