Extensive military changes took place in Turkiye as Erdoğan appoints a new chief of staff and several new commanders at the Turkish Armed Forces
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan signed a decision to make changes in the leadership of the Turkish army, which included the appointment of a new chief of the General Staff, to succeed General Yaşar Güler, who took over the Ministry of Defense in the new Turkish government.
The military council’s decision, approved by the Turkish president, provided for the promotion of 32 generals and admirals to a higher rank, and 63 colonels promoted to the rank of generals and admirals, thus increasing the number of generals and admirals, which currently stands at 266 to 286 as of August 30, 2023.
On Thursday, Türkiye’s Supreme Military Council decided to appoint General Metin Gürak as chief of the army’s general staff, during a meeting held by the council, led by Erdoğan, in the Turkish capital, Ankara.
General Metin Gürak is currently the head of the Second Army.
According to a statement issued by the Turkish Presidency’s Communication Department, the Council also decided to appoint the second Chief of Staff, General Selçuk Bayraktaroğlu, as Commander of the Land Forces, to succeed General Musa Avsever.
During the meeting, it was also decided to appoint the Commander of the Combat Air Force, General Ziya Cemal Kadıoğlu, as Commander of the Air Force, to succeed General Atilla Gülan.
The Turkish President met with the Turkish Military Council, in the presence of a number of ministers of his new government, accompanied by a number of Turkish army commanders, at the Presidential Complex in the capital, Ankara.
Before announcing the military changes, Erdoğan expressed his hope that the 2023 Military Council meeting would bring good luck to his country, noting that Türkiye, despite the conflicts and tensions in its immediate surroundings, is still a center of attraction in the region.
Erdoğan added, “We celebrate the Turkish century that we promised our nation, and we make intensive efforts in every field to build a more prosperous, more status and peaceful country for future generations… Confidence in this struggle is our Turkish Armed Forces, which are the eyes of our nation with their high sense of duty, deterrence and superior capabilities”.
He continued, “I hope that we will increase the strength of our army with the decisions that we will take in our council meeting”.
