"Commander of Turkish land forces A changing of the guard at the top of the armed forces is always a defining moment. Gen Basbug takes over as chief of the general staff in August from Yashar Buyukanit, who has clashed on several occasions with the government. Gen Basbug is said to be as fiercely opposed to political Islam as his predecessor. It remains to be seen how his opposition is expressed. He is steeped in the westernised, secular culture of Turkey's Nato-influenced officer corps. There may be no immediate easing of political-military tensions when he takes over."
"...Türkiye, laik ordu ile sosyal olarak muhafazakar hükümet arasındaki gergin ilişkileri kolaylaştırması beklenen bir adım ile yeni silahlı kuvvetleri komutanını atadı. General ilker Başbuğ'un terfi edilmesinin iktidardaki Adalet ve Kalkınma Partisi ile daha az konfrontasyona yol açacağı umuluyor..."
