Chief of General Staff Gen. İlker Başbuğ, scheduled to retire Aug. 30, paid a farewell visit Monday to Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Parliament Speaker Mehmet Ali Şahin.
The farewells follow a similar visit Aug. 20 in Istanbul to President Abdullah Gül.
Başbuğ will be replaced by current Land Forces Commander Gen. Işık Koşaner.
Meanwhile, 1st Army Commander Gen. Hasan Iğsız, whose promotion to the position of Land Forces commander was blocked by the government during the Supreme Military Council, or YAŞ, relinquished his position to Aegean Army Commander Gen. Hayri Kıvrıkoğlu at a ceremony Monday.
Iğsız was previously the top choice for the position of Land Forces commander but the military’s plans to appoint him to that role were thwarted when he became embroiled in an alleged campaign to discredit the ruling Justice and Development Party, or AKP.
Iğsız then asked to be allowed to retire from the Turkish Armed Forces, or TSK.
Speaking at the ceremony, Iğsız said he has always stuck to his principles throughout his career.
“I don’t know what it seems like from the outside, but when I look back I see half a century during which I could maintain my self-respect and the principles I am proud of,” the general said.
Kıvrıkoğlu said there would not be any change in the determined stance of the TSK to preserve the secular and unitary features of the Turkish state regardless of the change of command.
