The supreme military council of Turkey has appointed land forces commander general Ilker Basbug as the new head of the Turkish army, the second largest army in Nato, local media reported on August 4 2008.

A staunch guardian of secularism, Basbug is at the same time expected to ease tensions in relations between the army and the government by abstaining from open clashes with the ruling Justice and Development (AK) party, which secularists accuse of trying to increase the role of Islamism in Turkish society, Reuters commented.

Basbug, 65, is to replace retiring general Yasar Buyukanit on August 30 and is to head the Turkish military forces until 2010 when he will reach retirement age.

“Unlike the often impulsive incumbent... Buyukanit, Basbug is known for his cool and calculating nature,” Wolfango Piccoli, an analyst at political risk think-tank Eurasia Group said, as quoted by Reuters. “The result will be less likelihood of abrupt escalations in civil-military tension, but at the same time more effective political pressure from the military,” he added.

The appointment of Basbug comes less than a week after the Turkish constitutional court ruled in favour of the ruling AK and decided not to disband it on accusations of being a focal point of anti-secular activities in a case that brought about considerable political tension in the country over the past several months.

The court, however, imposed financial sanctions on prime minister Recep Tayyip  Erdogan's party, and defined its ruling as a serious warning towards the AK.

The judiciary and the military in Turkey traditionally see themselves as guardians of secularism. Since 1960, the Turkish army has overthrown four governments, the last one in 1997.