General Staff backs down in row with staff

ANKARA - Hürriyet Daily News

The non-commissioned officers will be offered more rights. DAILY NEWS photo

Turkey’s General Staff announced yesterday that it had made a series of proposals to the government to improve the working conditions and financial benefits of non-commissioned officers.

The statement came in the wake of criticism triggered by an earlier, harshly worded statement from the military earlier this month. Referring to a vocal campaign by non-commissioned officers demanding better working conditions, the military had denounced the demands as “provocations.”

The statement harshly criticizing the campaign was removed from the General Staff’s website yesterday, one hour before the statement about improved working conditions and financial benefits for non-commissioned officers was released.

Yesterday’s statement announced a series of ameliorating measures that the General Staff had suggested to the government, including better promotion opportunities, extra payments, the reduction of compulsory service from 15 to 10 years and the abolition of disciplinary sanctions such as room confinement and internment. The military will continue to make efforts to “keep the moral and performance of personnel at the highest level,” the statement said.