The Turkish president issued a decree giving himself the authority to declare mobilization and state of war
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan issued a new 52-page presidential decree dealing with the rules and procedures followed in cases of war and granting the power to declare general or partial mobilization to the President of the Republic.
This legislation came into force after its publication in the Official Gazette on Tuesday, which led to the abolition of the regulation of mobilization and state of war dating back to May 24, 1990.
Under the new decree, the power to declare mobilization in the country passed from the Council of Ministers to the President of the Republic.
This legislation aims to prepare the state to quickly and effectively move all forces and resources from a state of peace to a state of mobilization or war.
The new legislation empowers the President of the Republic to declare general or partial mobilization in the event of war or violent uprising against the homeland or the Republic, or any conduct that endangers the safety of the homeland and the nation at the internal and external levels.
The Office of Combating Disinformation in the Turkish Presidency explained that the new law includes four organizational measures, including the regulation of mobilization and state of war, the list of preparations for the logistical mobilization of the Turkish Armed Forces, the regulation of the mobilization of members of the Turkish Armed Forces, and the list of postponement of reserve personnel, grouped into one comprehensive legislation that meets the needs of the times.
Commenting on the new legislation, ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) spokesman Omer Çelik said the move was a regular procedure.
He added that the old document prepared in the nineties underwent minor changes several times, and pointed out that the strategic principle is to coordinate the elements of the national force to support the Turkish Armed Forces in case of war.
Çelik noted that the legislation could have been evaluated previously, but the earthquake’s agenda intervened, noting that the great changes in the world in terms of protecting the security of states required updating documents related to national security.
He added that the tension between Russia and Ukraine, the situation in Gaza and developments in the Balkans all call for updating security documents.
The new decision sparked widespread controversy on social media in Türkiye, especially as it came in conjunction with the escalation of tensions in the region as a result of the aggression on the Gaza Strip and the escalation between Israel and Iran.
According to the details of the decree, the official document published at the official gazette:
The President of the Republic shall be empowered to declare general or partial mobilization.
It aims to facilitate the transition of the state from a state of peace to a state of mobilization or war.
Includes four organizational actions related to mobilization and the state of war
The legislation came amid escalating regional and international tensions.
