Is Turkey’s Government in Danger from the Military?
Alarmist rumours are circulating in Ankara, Washington and some European capitals that Turkey’s Prime Minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, leader of the Justice and Development Party (AKP), may be in danger of being overthrown by a military coup. The potential threat is said to come from the new Chief of Staff, General Yasar Büyükanit, who took up his post on 30 August. He is thought to be less reformist than his predecessor, General Hilmi Ozkok, and less inclined to accept civilian authority over the armed services.
Born in Istanbul in 1940, General Büyükanit graduated from the military academy in 1961 and has climbed steadily up the military ladder ever since. He is considered a fervent champion of secularism and of the country’s territorial integrity -- fundamental principles inherited from the founder of the Turkish Republic, Kemal Atatürk.
