Turkey suspends conscription, military discharge for one month due to outbreak

ANKARA

A presidential decree published in the Official Gazette on April 17 extended the conscription of approximately 66,000 soldiers for one month in order to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 outbreak in the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK).

The military postponed the mandatory conscription of 53,000 people for at least one month. The decisions will be re-examined after one month.

The army had carried out the latest discharge of soldiers on April 1, while the most recent conscriptions were conducted on March 19.

While 60,000 soldiers were discharged during this period, another 60,000 were conscripted.

Upon the outbreak of the coronavirus, the soldiers who had been discharged from the TSK are being quarantined 14 days before their complete discharge. As for newly conscripted soldiers, they had been under observation for 14 days before they were sent to their corresponding military posts.