Military and Police Structure

Turkish Armed Forces

The constitution stipulates that it is the duty of every Turk to defend his homeland. The Army has 500,000 personnel spread between four armies and ten army corps. The Air Force has 60,000 manning two tactical Air Commands, one transport command and one air training command. The Navy has 64,000 sailors. These numbers are maintained through a draft. Women can volunteer for a limited range of positions. The high cost of maintaining the Turkish military is justified on the grounds that a force of this size is needed to secure the nation’s borders as well as defend against external and internal enemies.

The relationship of the armed forces with Turkey’s civilian leadership, as well as society in general, is an anomaly. The military has a history of involvement in domestic politics and has initiated the ouster of several democratically elected leaders, yet polls reveal the military to be the country’s most trusted institution.

EU membership, however, requires changes. The military has accepted these adjustments despite the foreseeable loss of power. Specifically, the armed forces should be accountable to the Minister of Defense rather than the Prime Minister, this being in line with the hierarchy of authority in other member countries. In addition, the National Security Council (NSC), a body used to influence government policy in accordance with military wishes, was stripped of its executive powers and reconfigured as an advisory board.

Internal Security

The Turkish government departments that have responsibility for monitoring terrorist groups and preventing attacks include the Directorate General of Security, the Turkish National Police, the Gendarmerie General Command, the Coast Guard Command, and the National Intelligence Agency. The police are organized in a centralized structure under the authority of the Ministry of the Interior, which answers to the ruling party. This setup is defended on the grounds that it affords the best response to the problems of terrorism, unrest and drug trafficking. The powers of the Turkish police have been criticized for human rights abuses, including allegations of torture, which the government has attempted to address through independent monitoring. Here, too, EU accession provides impetus to demonstrate that the rights of detainees are protected.