Shoulder badge of rank Chief of the Turkish General Staff

General Mehmet Yaşar Büyükanıt ^[1] (b. September 1, 1940) is the 25th and current Chief of the Turkish General Staff of the Turkish Armed Forces, since August 28, 2006. Events 462 - Possible start of first Byzantine indiction cycle. Year 1940 ( MCMXL) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full 1940 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Chief of the General Staff in Turkey is a military officer of the rank of General who presides over the General Staff of the Turkish Armed The Turkish Armed Forces (TAF (Türk Silahlı Kuvvetleri or TSK consist of the Army, the Navy (including naval aviation and naval infantry and the Air Force Events 475 - The Roman General Orestes forces western Roman Emperor Julius Nepos to flee his Capital Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. He succeeds General Hilmi Özkök in this post. General Hilmi Özkök (born 1940 in Turgutlu, Manisa Province) was the 24th Chief of the General Staff of the Turkish Armed Forces.

Biography

General Yaşar Büyükanıt was born in Istanbul on September 1, 1940 into a jewish family which converted to islam. Events 462 - Possible start of first Byzantine indiction cycle. Year 1940 ( MCMXL) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full 1940 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. He graduated from the Turkish Military Academy in 1961 as an infantry officer. The Turkish Military Academy, (Kara Harp Okulu is a four year co-educational military academy located in the center of Ankara. 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. Year 1963 ( MCMLXIII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Turkish Army ( Turkish: Türk Kara Kuvvetleri) is a branch of the Turkish Armed Forces. A platoon is a military unit typically composed of two to four sections or Squads and containing about 30 to 50 soldiers ^[2]

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 (SHAPE) 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. Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe ( SHAPE) is the central command of NATO Military forces Mons ( Dutch: Bergen, Picard: Mont) is a Walloon City and municipality located in the Belgian The Kingdom of Belgium is a Country in northwest Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts its headquarters as well as those The Turkish General Staff presides over the Armed Forces of the Republic of Turkey, comprising the Army, Navy and Air Force. Kuleli Military High School is the first Military high school in Turkey, located in Çengelköy-Kuleli Istanbul. ^[2]

After graduating from the NATO Defence College, he was promoted to the rank of Brigadier General in 1988. The NATO Defence College was established in 1951 Since 1999 it has been at Cecchignola, near Rome, Italy, having previously been at Viale della Civilta Brigadier General is the lowest ranking General Officer in some countries usually sitting between the ranks of Colonel and Major General. He served as the 2nd Armored Brigade Commander and then as the Chief of Intelligence Department at AFSOUTH Headquarters in Naples, Italy. Naples ( Napoli, Neapolitan: Nàpule) is a historic City in southern Italy, the Capital of the Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest ^[2]

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. Major General or Major-General is a Military rank used in many countries The Turkish General Staff presides over the Armed Forces of the Republic of Turkey, comprising the Army, Navy and Air Force. The Turkish Military Academy, (Kara Harp Okulu is a four year co-educational military academy located in the center of Ankara. 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. Lieutenant General is a Military rank used in many countries The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages where the title of Lieutenant General was held by the ^[2]

In 2000, he was promoted to the rank of General and served as the Deputy Chief of TGS until 2003. Year 2003 ( MMIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. He later served as the Commander of the First Army. General Büyükanıt was later appointed as the Commander of the Turkish Army in 2004. The Turkish Army ( Turkish: Türk Kara Kuvvetleri) is a branch of the Turkish Armed Forces. "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " He assumed the Command of the Turkish Armed Forces on August 28, 2006. The Turkish Armed Forces (TAF (Türk Silahlı Kuvvetleri or TSK consist of the Army, the Navy (including naval aviation and naval infantry and the Air Force ^[2]

General Yaşar Büyükanıt is married to Filiz Büyükanıt and has a daughter. General Büyükanıt speaks English as a foreign language. English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States ^[3]

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^[4][5], Büyükanıt expressed support for secular values and outlined a hard stance against the PKK. The Turkish Military Academy, (Kara Harp Okulu is a four year co-educational military academy located in the center of Ankara. Events 1187 - Siege of Jerusalem: Saladin captures Jerusalem after 88 years of Crusader rule Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. The Kurdistan Workers' Party (Partiya Karkerên Kurdistan or PKK, also called KADEK, Kongra-Gel, and KGK It is listed as a terrorist 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. The European Union ( EU) is a political and economic union of twenty-seven member states, located primarily in The North Atlantic Treaty ^[6][7]

The Turkish military published a statement on 27 April 2007, two days before the second Republic Protest, as the 2007 presidential election was ongoing. Events 1124 - David I becomes King of Scotland. 1296 - Battle of Dunbar: The Scots are defeated Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. The Republic Protests (Cumhuriyet Mitingleri were a series of peaceful mass rallies that took place in Turkey in the spring of 2007 in support of the The 2007 Turkish presidential election refers to two attempts to elect the country's 11th president, to succeed Ahmet Necdet Sezer. This statement warned against Islamic fundamentalism, which was alleged to pose a threat to the secular Republican nature of the Turkish state. ^[8] The eventual election of Abdullah Gül, of the Islamic-rooted AKP, have led to media uncertainty about a possible rift between the Turkish military and the presidency. Abdullah Gül PhD GCB, (born October 29, 1950) is the 11th President of the Republic of Turkey, serving in that office since The President of Turkey ( Cumhurbaşkanı) is the Head of state of the Republic of Turkey. ^[9]

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-Imtiaz^[2]

Notes and references

External links

• Yaşar Büyükanıt's biography at the Turkish General Staff website
• (Turkish) Milliyet.com.tr - Görevimin uzaması haysiyet kırıcı olur
• (Turkish) Hurriyet.com.tr - Asıl hedef Büyükanıt'tı