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Turkey names hard-liner military chief
1.8.2006
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ANKARA, Turkey -
Turkey named a new military chief Monday who favors
a tougher line against Kurdish rebels and
negotiations on the secular Muslim country joining
the European Union.
The change comes as the United States is pressing
Turkey to contribute to a possible peacekeeping
force along the Israeli-Lebanese border. Turkey,
NATO's only Muslim member, had expressed a readiness
to contribute troops to a peacekeeping force if
there were first a cease-fire and if the force were
backed by a U.N. resolution.
Turkey has been insisting that Washington do more to
crack down against Turkish Kurdish rebels operating
out of bases in Kurdistan (northern Iraq).
Gen. Yasar Buyukanit, head of the land forces, was
appointed chief of staff by the Cabinet, replacing
Gen. Hilmi Ozkok, who retires in late August.
In his four years at the military helm, Ozkok agreed
to EU-requested reforms that curtailed some of the
military's extensive influence and introduced
measures that increased transparency in the
military. |
Gen Yasar Buyukanit, Turkey's Land Force Commander
Photo: AP |
The European Union is pressing the country to
further curb the powers of the generals, who have
staged three coups between 1960 and 1980 and
pressured a pro-Islamic government out of power in
1997.
Buyukanit was expected to press for a tougher line
on EU reforms and Turkey's fight against
autonomy-seeking Kurdish rebels.
He is also likely to adopt a harder line than Ozkok
against threats to the country's secular traditions,
which could lead to clashes with the Islamic-rooted
government of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
"As a personality, Buyukanit is more outspoken.
People who are close to him say he is more hawkish,"
said Lale Sariibrahimoglu, a Turkish military
analyst for Jane's Defense Weekly.
Buyukanit took the bold step in November of
criticizing the government for not ordering troops
into Iraq after a series of attacks by Turkish
Kurdish guerrillas based there. The United States
strongly opposes any cross-border incursion.
Buyukanit's outspokenness and strong nationalist
views have made him popular in Turkey, especially as
Turks become increasingly disillusioned with their
country's EU bid and the growing opposition in
Europe to their possible membership.
AP
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