Turkey’s top military board to convene on Aug. 2

ANKARA

Turkey’s Supreme Military Board (YAŞ) will convene to discuss promotions and expels from the army in a one-day meeting to be held on Aug. 2 under the leadership of Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım.

The decisions of the YAŞ will be announced after President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s approval on the same day. 

Along with Yıldırım and Defense Minister Nurettin Canikli, Chief of General Staff Gen. Hulusi Akar and senior commanders of the army will be present at the meeting.

With the change to the structure of YAŞ, deputy prime ministers as well as foreign and interior ministers will also have to participate in the meeting. 

This year’s meeting will determine whether Land Forces Commander Gen. Salih Zeki Çolak, Naval Forces Commander Adm. Bülent Bostanoğlu and Air Forces Commander Gen. Abidin Ünal will be replaced or have their terms extended. Akar will remain in his position until 2019.


First time in gendarmerie

The reshuffle will also extend to the gendarmerie forces as its commander Gen. Yaşar Güler’s term expires this year. However, the move is a first in appointing the head of the gendarmerie as the forces has been fully tied to the Interior Ministry through a set of changes at the military structure following the July 2016 coup attempt. 

In the past, the head of the gendarmerie was being appointed among generals serving at the Land Forces Command but as a result of the changes the new commander will be selected by his own staff. Under the new structure, it’s no longer an obligation to appoint a general as the gendarmerie forces commander.