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General Mehmet Yaşar Büyükanıt (b. September 1, 1940) was the 25th Chief of the Turkish General Staff of the Turkish Armed Forces, from August 28, 2006 to August 28, 2008.
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Biography
General Yaşar Büyükanıt was born in Istanbul on September 1, 1940. He graduated from the Turkish Military Academy in 1961 as an infantry officer. After graduating from the Infantry School in 1963, he served in different units of the Turkish Army as a Platoon and Commando Company Commander until 1970.1
Following his graduation from the Army Staff College in 1972, he served as the Chief of Operations at the 6th Infantry Division, as an instructor at the Army Staff College, as the Chief of the Intelligence Division Basic Intelligence Branch Forces and Systems Section at the Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe in Mons, Belgium, as the Section and then Branch Chief of the General-Admiral Branch at the Turkish General Staff (TGS) Headquarters, as the Commander of Kuleli Military High School and of the Presidential Guard Regiment.1
After graduating from the NATO Defence College, he was promoted to the rank of Brigadier General in 1988. He served as the 2nd Armored Brigade Commander and then as the Chief of Intelligence Department at AFSOUTH Headquarters in Naples, Italy.1
Having been promoted to rank of Major General in 1992, General Büyükanıt served as the Secretary General of the Turkish General Staff and then as the Superintendent of the Turkish Army Academy. He was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant General in 1996 and served as the 7th Army Corps Commander until 1998, after which he became the Chief of Operations of the TGS.1
In 2000, he was promoted to the rank of General and served as the Deputy Chief of TGS until 2003. He later served as the Commander of the First Army. General Büyükanıt was appointed as the Commander of the Turkish Army in 2004. He assumed the Command of the Turkish Armed Forces on August 28, 2006.1
General Yaşar Büyükanıt is married to Filiz Büyükanıt, with whom he has a daughter, Bengü.23
Political controversies
General Yaşar Büyükanıt is considered tough on terrorism and a staunch defender of secularism. In his speech at the commencement of the academic year at the Turkish Military Academy on October 2, 2006, which was interpreted as a "harsh salvo" in Turkish media,45 Büyükanıt expressed support for secular values and outlined a hard stance against the PKK. Büyükanıt also asserted that certain EU and NATO-allied countries have intentionally allowed terrorist organizations acting against Turkey, to base and run operations in their own territories, inconsistent with Turkey’s relations and alliance with those countries.6
The Turkish military published a statement on 27 April 2007, two days before the second Republic Protest, as the 2007 presidential election was ongoing. This statement warned against Islamic fundamentalism, which was alleged to pose a threat to the secular Republican nature of the Turkish state.
Decorations
- Turkish Armed Forces Medal of Honor
- Turkish Armed Forces Medal of Distinguished Courage and Self-Sacrifice
- Turkish Armed Forces Medal of Distinguished Service
- United States Armed Forces Legion of Merit
- Italian Armed Forces Medal of Merit
- Pakistani Medal of Nishan-e-Imtiaz1
Footnotes
^§ His second name, Yaşar, a popular Turkish name which literally means "he who lives on, he who lives through", is the one that is more commonly used, as is often the case in Turkey. His surname, a combination of the words "Büyük" (great, big) and "Anıt" (monument as in Anıtkabir or -idiomatically- deed) can be taken to mean "great deed".
References
- ^ a b c d e f Biography, Official Web site of the Turkish General Staff.
- ^ "O artık hür general" (in Turkish), Radikal (2008-08-28). Retrieved on 28 August 2008. "Orgeneral Büyükanıt, tören sonrası düzenlenen resepsiyonda kızı Bengü, damadı Ercan ve torunları Anıl Sarp ve Bengisu Caymaz..."
- ^ Commander of the Turkish Armed Forces, NATO Biographies
- ^ Oğuz, Serhat (2006-10-03). "Büyükanıt da 'irtica tehdidi var' dedi" (in Turkish), Milliyet. Retrieved on 11 August 2008. (cover page)
- ^ "Paşa kızdı" (in Turkish), Akşam (2006-10-03). Retrieved on 11 August 2008.
- ^ Aytalar, Ardıç (2006-10-03). "İrtica tehdidi var önlem alın" (in Turkish), Hürriyet. Retrieved on 11 August 2008.
| Military offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Hilmi Özkök |
Chief of the General Staff of Turkey August 28, 2006–August 28, 2008 |
Succeeded by İlker Başbuğ |
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Wikipedia content modification information:
- This page was last modified on 6 November 2008, at 17:51.
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