Military service to be shortened in January: Turkish Deputy PM

ANKARA

Deputy Prime Minister Bülent Arınç announced Oct 21 that a decree shortening the compulsory military service of male citizens will go into effect on Jan 1, 2014. AA photo

A decree shortening the compulsory military service of male citizens from 15 to 12 months has been approved by the Cabinet and will go into effect on Jan. 1, 2014, Deputy Prime Minister Bülent Arınç announced Oct. 21.

The new regulation will allow at least 70,000 soldiers who have completed their compulsory 12 months to benefit from an early discharge in the New Year.

Reminded of the military’s suggestion to apply the new regulation from March 1, 2014, Arınç replied that “political decisions are taken with a law or a decree by the government, which takes the responsibility [for its decisions].”

He said that relations between the military and politics had “returned to normal,” adding that the government “always took into account the demands of the General Staff, which is directly responsible for military requirements.”

“In the past, the ministers responsible used to approve anything that the General Staff said,” Arınç said, adding that his government differed from previous administrations as it “takes decisions independent of the military.”