Radical Islamic groups in Turkey are presenting a threat to the country’s sectarian system, commander of the land forces, Gen. Elker Bas Bough, said, according to the London-based daily Al-Hayyat.
Speaking at the TurkishMilitaryAcademy, Bas Bough explained that this threat had reached "alarming levels," and that people working to topple the sectarian system had achieved "noticeable progress in the past period."
Bas Bough warned that a sharp polarization was almost dividing the Turkish community on the issue of sectarianism. He added that the army would stand firm to preserve the sectarian system if the intellectual circles were not able to put a stop to the radical Islamist ideas.
The Turkish army garners much respect among the Turkish people. It has staged four military coups in the past five decades and restored civilian control after a short transition period. The last, non-violent coup, occurred in 1997 when the army cooperated with politcial parties and economic forces against the previous Islamic government headed by Necmettin Erbakan.