Türkiye extends chief of general staff’s tenure

ANKARA

The Supreme Military Council has decided to extend the tenure of the chief of General Staff, General Yaşar Güler, by one year, while the air and navy commanders have been retired.

Türkiye’s Supreme Military Council gathered under the chairmanship of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Aug. 4. The annual meeting designates Türkiye’s military staff replacements.

Following the meeting, presidential spokesperson İbrahim Kalın announced that the term of Güler has been extended for one more year.

Effective as of Aug. 30, 16 generals and admirals are promoted to a higher rank and 47 colonels were promoted to generals and admirals, Kalın said. Naval Forces Commander Admiral Adnan Özbal and Air Force Commander General Hasan Küçükakyüz were retired due to a lack of staff.

The commander of the Navy, Admiral Ercüment Tatlıoğlu, was appointed to the Naval Forces Command, and the Combatant Air Force Commander, General Atilla Gülan, was appointed to the Air Force Command, he stated.

Güler fulfills both the age limit and the waiting period on his duty this year.

However, with the law that came into force after being published in the Official Gazette on July 13, a regulation was made regarding the term of office of the chief of General Staff.

According to regulation, the age limit of the chief of the General Staff can be extended for a period of one year until the age of 72 with the approval of the president.

In this context, the term of office of Güler was extended.

Before the meeting, the council members visited Anitkabir, the mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder of the Turkish Republic.

Türkiye continues to rise as an icon of stability and trust in its region at a critical time, Erdoğan wrote in the mausoleum’s memorial book. “Outstanding achievements on various fronts, from counter-terrorism to cross-border operations, clearly demonstrate the strength, effectiveness, and capabilities of the Turkish Armed Forces,” he added.