A few weeks ago, Ministry of Defence and new Chief of Staff declared that they have plans to make military service 9 months for all. As a persuasive technique they underline that this will provide equality. At the moment there are five different service types. Their crude populism offers non-college graduates a decrease in their services: nearly 6 months. However, we helpless college graduates lose our chance to serve for only 5 months. In their rotten training system even a day longer is worse and now poor candidates will serve 4 months more… Instead of working on a professional army, the military bureaucracy aims to maintain military tutelage over educated classes. Instead of decreasing the amount of service, they unashamedly claim for more of our times. And there is not much opposition. I believe this is a more vital case than ongoing referendum debates…
Compulsory military service: base of militarism
Military service and the principle of equality
Turkey’s newly appointed Chief of Staff General Isik Kosaner (front) and top military officials visit the mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, founder of modern Turkey, during a ceremony marking the 88th anniversary of Victory Day in Ankara August 30, 2010.? Read more » REUTERS/Umit Bektas
As the Koşaner era begins
Işık Koşaner new Chief of General Staff
The military lost when it couldn’t interpret Gül and Erdoğan well
Hurriyet Daily News
Then, finally, Erdoğan pressed the Ergenekon button. The Turkish public believed that the Ergenekon investigation was started by Prime Minister Erdoğan,
EurasiaNet
That, at least, is the conclusion made by Ilter Turan, a professor of political science at Istanbul’s Bilgi University, in an analysis piece for the German .
Conscription, professional units and reform
Conscription, professional units and reform
Discover more from Erkan's Field Diary
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
Military service can be incredibly demanding during war time. For that simple fact, I am glad that soldiers do go through a thorough training period before anything. On the other hand, how reasonable would it be to extend that period to almost twice its current length? The army already makes too many sacrifices in name of war.