Top army commander says TSK not opposed to faith but to the use of religion for political gain

Chief of General Staff Gen. Ilker Basbug yesterday stressed that the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) has never been and will never be opposed to religion, adding that certain circles are trying to smear the army as being anti-religion. "What we are against is using religion and religious feelings as tools for political and personal goals and interests," Basbug said in a speech at the War Academies Command in Istanbul. Underlining that the Republic of Turkey is a secular and social state under the rule of law, and that its secular, democratic nature makes it strong in its region, Basbug said, "Everyone has to act in a sensitive and responsible manner in order to not undermine these ideals. Secularism and democracy do not contradict each other. They complement each other." Stressing that a modern republic is possible only through democracy, Basbug said democracy cannot do without secularism, separation of powers, an independent judiciary, the rule of law, pluralism, equality of opportunity, and responsibilities. The top general said that the TSK is committed to and respects democracy, one of the pillars of the republic. Another topic of Basbug's speech focused on the unity of the Turkish people and the importance of the nation-state. Basbug said the idea of "Turkishness" is not peculiar to a certain group of people, but rather is a common name granted to all sectors within society, explicitly expressing that all Turkish citizens are united around the identity of Turkishness rather than various ethnicities. Basbug explained what he meant by "Turkish nation," saying: "We call the people who founded the Republic of Turkey the 'Turkish nation'." Opposing the idea of promoting Turkey's various ethnicities over the common supra-identity of Turkishness, Basbug said one of the fundamental reasons behind the foundation of the Republic of Turkey is the establishment of a nation-state. On the fight against the terrorist PKK, Basbug said, "We have to maintain our fight against terrorism and the separatist terrorist organization in a determined, programmed and coordinated way. Security forces have to take all necessary measures under the law by placing more importance on coordinated intelligence activities." Stressing the importance of separating terrorists from innocents, Basbug said that necessary measures should be taken to prevent people from joining terrorist groups. "The terrorist PKK has been losing blood, and northern Iraq is no longer a safe haven for the PKK," he added. "We believe that recent measures taken jointly by Turkey, the US and Iraq against the terrorist group in northern Iraq will yield more effective results in the months to come."