This is an old revision of this page, as edited by E104421 (talk | contribs) at 10:35, 6 October 2006 (removing the newpaper content and keeping/upgrading the wikifications of the previous editions.). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.
Revision as of 10:35, 6 October 2006 by E104421 (talk | contribs) (removing the newpaper content and keeping/upgrading the wikifications of the previous editions.)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)General Mehmet Yaşar Büyükanıt is the 25th and current Chief of the General Staff of the Turkish Armed Forces. He has assumed his functions in August 28, 2006. The presidential decree with effect to his appointment was signed by President Ahmet Necdet Sezer on July 31, 2006. He succeeds General Hilmi Özkök in this post. His most likely successor per Turkish military tradition is İlker Başbuğ, the current Commander of the Turkish Army.
Biography
General Yaşar Büyükanıt, was born in İstanbul on September 1 1940. He graduated from the Military Academy in 1961 as an infantry officer. After Graduating from the Infantry School in 1963, he served in different units of the Land Forces as Platoon and Commando Company Commander until 1970.
Following his graduation from the Army Staff College in 1972, he served as the Chief of Operations at 6th Infantry Division, as an instructor at Army Staff College, as Intelligence Division Basic Intelligence Branch Forces and Systems Section Chief at the Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE) in Mons/Belgium, as the Section and then Branch Chief of General-Admiral Branch at Turkish General Staff (TGS) Headquarters, as the Commander of Kuleli Military High School and of the Presidential Guard Regiment.
After graduating from 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 HQs in Naples, Italy.
Having been promoted to rank of Major General in 1992, General Büyükanıt served as the Secretary General of 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 till 1998, after which he became the Chief of Operations of the TGS.
In 2000, he was promoted to the rank of General and served as the Deputy Chief of TGS till 2003. Then he served as the Commander of the First Army. General Büyükanıt was appointed as the Commander of the Land Forces in 2004. He assumed the Command of the Turkish Armed Forces in 30 August 2006.
His decorations include, the Turkish Armed Forces (TAF) Medal of Honor, TAF Medal of Distinguished Courage and Self-Sacrifice, TAF Medal of Distinguished Service, United States Armed Forces Legion of Merit, Italian Armed Forces Medal of Merit and the Pakistani Medal of Nishan-e-Imtiaz.
He is married to Mrs. Filiz Büyükanıt and they have a daughter. General Büyükanıt speaks English as a foreign language.
External link
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".
| Preceded byHilmi Özkök | Chief of the General Staff of Turkey 2006–present |
Succeeded byincumbent |
