Turkish army launches training classes to stop suicides

ANKARA - Hürriyet Daily News

The General Staff will cooperate with Ankara University in the capital city in a psychological support program for officers. Initial classes have already begun. DHA photo

The General Staff has launched a training program designed to provide psychological support in a bid to tackle the increasing number of suicide cases within the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK).

Based on a protocol between the Ministry of Defense and the Rector’s Office of Ankara University, the newly commissioned and non-commissioned officers are being trained in areas such as “skills in interpersonal communication and assistance, noticing a soldier with problems and providing the relevant guidance,” Anatolia news agency reported April 8.

The move by the General Staff apparently comes as part of a recently launched campaign in response to growing public awareness of the high number of suicides and controversial deaths occurring among conscripts engaged in compulsory military service.

For healthier relations

The objective of the training is to contribute to the professional and personal development of the commissioned and non-commissioned officers, and to enhance the necessary information, skills and attitude required for effective communication and healthier human relations on the level of management, Dr. Şennur Tutarel of Ankara University’s Faculty of Languages, History and Geography, told Anatolia news agency. Tutarel delivered a training session to some 40 military officers who had recently graduated from the Military Academy. Training sessions, organized in Ankara and Istanbul, are delivered by academics from the psychology department.

“They can go through some adaptation difficulties when they find themselves in the military environment. We are intending to give information on these difficulties. Also, there might be some self-destructive behaviors surfacing during field duty,” Tutarel said, underlining that personnel under the supervision of military leaders could experience psychological problems during their military service.

Military officers, speaking anonymously with Anatolia, emphasized that there had already been lectures on psychology in schools affiliated with TSK. However the trainings in collaboration with the Ankara University are believed to be more effective since they are delivered by clinical psychologists and therefore they are of great importance, the same officers said.