Being housewife is harder, says Special Forces’ women soldiers

Hande Fırat - ANKARA

Being a housewife is more difficult than doing jobs with a love for the country, says female soldiers of the Special Forces Department based in the country’s General Directorate of Security Affairs during a special interview with the daily Hürriyet.

There are around 20,500 Special Force soldiers in the country, and 500 of them are women.

Following harsh training and various tests, around 60 in all 100 applicants can succeed to become the Special Force’s member.

“I am a daughter of a policeman, and I decided to be a special force soldier when I was 12,” said Y.K., only identified by initials due to security reasons. “I am not afraid to do my duty,” she added.

T.A. is a mother of a child. “I serve my job with the love of my country. This job is love for me,” she stated.

The job is tough, G.B., a special force soldier for 28 years, admitted but added: “If you serve the job with love, it is easy. Being a housewife is harder.”

“There is no men or women difference in the field. I am in love with my country,” she added.

Ç.S. is another one with a rifle at hand on the field and a spoon at hand in the kitchen. “Though I attend operations in the field, I cook for my family [when I am home],” she noted.

M.K. is a female sniper. “A sniper is the one who protects her team because you need to hit with only one shot,” she highlighted.

According to servicepeople, “women are better snipers” for three reasons.

“Women can hold breath easily and shoot calmly, and their hearts beat more slowly than men’s.”

There are photos of the special force soldiers who have lost their lives in combat in years at the entrance of the Special Forces Department.

There is a mirror after a total of 339 mugshots, which symbolizes the toughness of the job.

“The mirror placed as the ‘340th’ resembles as a mugshot of you,’ those who look at it,” officials highlighted.