Turkish General Staff denies claims of command weakness

ISTANBUL – Hürriyet Daily News

Turkish General Staff denied claims that there is a weakness at the chain of command within the army also saying that new personnel recruited in the equal number of those resigned or retired. “The allegations that there is command weakness in the Turkish armed Forces are unrealistic, said the General Staff in a statement in its website today.

“The retirements and resignations take place on January and February. The procedures for the personnel who want to quit willfully continues. The public will be informed when the procedures are completed,” said the statement. Recalling that the resignation and retirement are natural and personal right, the General Staff also said that those personnel who quit the army are replaced with new personnel at the same qualifications.

“Those who believe that they can harm the Turkish Armed Forces by making [this] agenda are wrong,” it also said.

Talking about deficiency is unacceptable: Erdoğan
 
Meanwhile, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan slammed reports alleging collective resignations from the Turkish Armed Forces. “The only competent authority on this matter is the Turkish Armed Forces. Retirement is routine in the army. All those [who served a certain amount of years] can ask for their retirement if they wish. But to approach it as if it is a deficiency is not acceptable. It’s a virus put forward by those who want to stir up trouble and whom have bad intentions,” Erdoğan said Feb. 6 in Ankara shortly after returning from his Central European visits.