• About
  • Contact
  • News Tips
Monday, January 25, 2021
Nordic Monitor
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Extremism
  • Military
  • Terrorism and Crime
  • Intelligence
  • Foreign Policy
  • Contact Us
    • Give us a tip!
  • About Us
  • Home
  • Extremism
  • Military
  • Terrorism and Crime
  • Intelligence
  • Foreign Policy
  • Contact Us
    • Give us a tip!
  • About Us
No Result
View All Result
Nordic Monitor
No Result
View All Result
Home Military

Turkish military has lost some 70 percent of its flag officers since 2016

by Abdullah Bozkurt
May 26, 2019
Turkish military has lost some 70 percent of its flag officers since 2016

Turkish President Erdogan hails graduation ceremony for cadets

Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare On TelegramShare On Whatsapp

 

Abdullah Bozkurt

 

A secret Turkish military document obtained by Nordic Monitor has revealed that nearly two-thirds of all generals and admirals in NATO’s second largest army have been discharged from the armed forces since 2016, sounding alarm bells about the well-being of the command structure.

The document, signed by Maj. Abdurrahman Yetimakman, a member of the Administrative Investigation Commission, shows that the thinning in the flag officer ranks is far worse than was reported by government officials, who have only addressed the number of purged and/or jailed officers. According to the document, 217 generals, amounting 67 percent of all flag officers in the Turkish military, were out as of December 7, 2016. Of these, 150 were dismissed and 50 retired.

Nordic Monitor has learned that many of those who retired were forced to do so by the government in order to avoid the purge and imprisonment on false charges of membership in a terrorist group or plotting a coup against the government. The face-saving measure was often brokered by middlemen in the military who convinced the government to pursue the retirement option instead of a purge. The practice has continued since 2016. For example, seven generals and admirals were asked to retire in August 2017, reportedly over fears that they might be subject to prosecution because of family members who were under investigation. In addition to the forced retirements, 17 flag officers decided to resign from the military under pressure exerted by the government.

Purge_Tally_Turkey_Army

On December 18, 2018 Turkish Defense Minister Hukusi Akar told lawmakers in parliament that 150 generals and admirals had been purged from the military, indicating that the number of purges had not changed in the two years since the report was issued, although the purge of officers in the lower ranks and the retirement of generals has continued since then.

The breakdown according to military service branches shows the dismissals, retirements and resignations took the heaviest toll on the Land Forces with the ouster of 133 generals. The Air Forces followed with 49 generals and the Navy with 35 admirals.

The document also indicated that 157 generals and admirals were under arrest at the time the report was prepared.

It listed eight generals and admirals as being at large. These are officers who were forced to live in exile and seek asylum over fears of unjustified imprisonment if they ever return to Turkey. Their names as listed in the document are Maj. Gen. M. Zeki Ugurlu, Brig. Gens. M. Nail Yiğit, Numan Yediyıldız, Ali Kalyoncu, M. Zeki Kıralp and Mehmet Yalınalp, and Rear Adms. Ayhan Bay and A. Suat Aktürk.

 

Previous Post

Erdoğan ordered surveillance of German foundations operating in Turkey

Next Post

Abdulkadir Yapuquan, China’s most wanted Uighur, freed in Turkey

Abdullah Bozkurt

Abdullah Bozkurt

[email protected]

Next Post
Abdulkadir Yapuquan, China’s most wanted Uighur, freed in Turkey

Abdulkadir Yapuquan, China's most wanted Uighur, freed in Turkey

Donate

Follow Us

  • Trending
  • Comments
  • Latest
Turkish judge on Europe’s top human rights court acts as Erdoğan’s Trojan horse

Turkish judge on Europe’s top human rights court acts as Erdoğan’s Trojan horse

January 16, 2021
Turkey’s top security official suspected of being a drug kingpin

Turkey’s top security official suspected of being a drug kingpin

January 21, 2021
IRGC Quds Force set up a shop in Turkey’s capital to recruit militants including al-Qaeda aspirants

IRGC Quds Force set up a shop in Turkey’s capital to recruit militants including al-Qaeda aspirants

January 13, 2021
President Erdoğan’s advisor says Turkey’s intel agency will feed Swedish-based Turkish journalist to the sharks

President Erdoğan’s advisor says Turkey’s intel agency will feed Swedish-based Turkish journalist to the sharks

January 21, 2021
Turkey has a plan for the invasion of Greece, secret documents reveal

Turkey has a plan for the invasion of Greece, secret documents reveal

82
Turkish intelligence agent who runs secret ops in Libya executed false flag coup bid in 2016

Turkish intelligence agent who runs secret ops in Libya executed false flag coup bid in 2016

22
Turkish intelligence operations in Greece exposed in secret documents

Turkish intelligence operations in Greece exposed in secret documents

17
Turkish spy agency MIT involved in intelligence gathering in Australia, targeting gov’t critics

More secret documents confirming vast Turkish espionage activities in Greece uncovered

15
Turkish police chief who took measures to protect US, NATO and Israeli officials wrongfully jailed

Turkish police chief who took measures to protect US, NATO and Israeli officials wrongfully jailed

January 25, 2021
Turkey, Tunisia defense industry deal provides basis for joint production of military systems

Turkey, Tunisia defense industry deal provides basis for joint production of military systems

January 24, 2021
Turkish intelligence recruited nephew of Gülen as informant to infiltrate critical group

Turkish intelligence recruited nephew of Gülen as informant to infiltrate critical group

January 23, 2021
Erdoğan’s long-arm charity IHH increases its presence in Mali

Erdoğan’s long-arm charity IHH increases its presence in Mali

January 22, 2021

Recommended

Turkish police chief who took measures to protect US, NATO and Israeli officials wrongfully jailed

Turkish police chief who took measures to protect US, NATO and Israeli officials wrongfully jailed

January 25, 2021
Turkey, Tunisia defense industry deal provides basis for joint production of military systems

Turkey, Tunisia defense industry deal provides basis for joint production of military systems

January 24, 2021
Turkish intelligence recruited nephew of Gülen as informant to infiltrate critical group

Turkish intelligence recruited nephew of Gülen as informant to infiltrate critical group

January 23, 2021
Erdoğan’s long-arm charity IHH increases its presence in Mali

Erdoğan’s long-arm charity IHH increases its presence in Mali

January 22, 2021

Nordic Monitor

Nordic Monitor is a news web site and tracking site that is run by the Stockholm-based Nordic Research and Monitoring Network. It covers religious, ideological and ethnic extremist movements and radical groups, with a special focus on Turkey.

Tags

Abdullah Bozkurt al-Qaeda Andrei Karlov Azerbaijan China coup Cyprus Diyanet Doğu Perinçek Egypt espionage European Union Fethullah Gulen Germany Greece Gülen Movement Hakan Fidan Hulusi Akar IHH Iran ISIL ISIS Israel Libya Mevlüt Mert Altıntaş Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu MIT Muslim Brotherhood NATO Press Freedom Qatar Recep Tayyip Erdoğan Russia SADAT Saudi Arabia Selected Article 1 Selected Article 2 Selected Article 3 spying Syria The United States Torture Turkey United States Yasin al-Qadi

Recent News

Turkish police chief who took measures to protect US, NATO and Israeli officials wrongfully jailed

Turkish police chief who took measures to protect US, NATO and Israeli officials wrongfully jailed

January 25, 2021
Turkey, Tunisia defense industry deal provides basis for joint production of military systems

Turkey, Tunisia defense industry deal provides basis for joint production of military systems

January 24, 2021
Turkish intelligence recruited nephew of Gülen as informant to infiltrate critical group

Turkish intelligence recruited nephew of Gülen as informant to infiltrate critical group

January 23, 2021

Copyright © Nordic Research and Monitoring Network All rights reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Extremism
  • Military
  • Terrorism and Crime
  • Intelligence
  • Foreign Policy
  • Contact Us
    • Give us a tip!
  • About Us

Copyright © Nordic Research and Monitoring Network All rights reserved.