In connection with the scandal over the supply of S-400 anti-aircraft missile systems to Turkey by Russia, Turkish military policy and defensive capabilities have become the focus of discussion in the world media. Now Turkey is predicted an almost total quarrel with the United States. But in fact, Turkey has been and remains one of the key members of the North Atlantic Alliance. Although Washington's confidence in Ankara has diminished significantly.
Ground forces are the basis of military power
The Turkish Armed Forces are the most numerous in NATO after the US Armed Forces. And it is possible that the most combat-ready. Unlike the armies of European states, the Turkish armed forces are still recruited by conscription, which means the presence of a huge mobilization reserve from among Turkish men who have served in the army.
The core of the Turkish armed forces is the ground forces. In the North Atlantic Alliance, Turkey has the most numerous ground forces after the United States, which are well armed, well trained and have real combat experience gained during numerous military operations against Kurdish rebels.
The ground forces of Turkey (Türk Kara Kuvvetleri) have approximately 360 thousand personnel and are the most numerous branch of the armed forces (75% of their total number). According to the country's legislation, ground forces can be used, firstly, to ensure the internal and external security of the country, the defense of its territory, participation in humanitarian missions, and secondly, to protect national interests through independent or jointly with the Air Force and the Navy, conducting strategic and tactical operations in the Caucasian, Balkan and Middle East directions.
The Turkish military-political leadership considers the ground forces as the main striking power of their armed forces, and in the event of any military operations, the main load falls on the ground forces. The ground forces of Turkey are subordinate to the commander of the ground forces (usually he has the rank of army general) and his headquarters, whose chief is responsible for planning operations, combat training of troops, interaction with other types of armed forces, security and civilian departments.
The composition and structure of the ground forces of Turkey
The ground forces of Turkey include branches of the armed forces and services. Combat types of troops - infantry troops, armored troops, field artillery, air defense of ground forces and army aviation. Combat support troops include military intelligence, special operations forces, engineering troops, signal troops, chemical troops, and military police.
The services of the troops, as in the Russian army, perform administrative tasks, resolve issues of material and technical support. The main services of the troops include artillery-technical, transport, financial, quartermaster, administrative, special services - medical, military-legal and a number of other services.
The Turkish ground forces are quite impressive. Firstly, there are four field armies, an operational group in the north of the island of Cyprus, Secondly, there are nine army corps, seven of which are part of the field armies, and three commands - the command of the army aviation, the training command and the command of the rear.
The armies and corps include numerous combat units and formations: 3 mechanized divisions (1 of them - as part of NATO forces), 2 infantry divisions (in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus); 39 separate brigades: 14 mechanized, 10 motorized infantry, 8 armored, 5 commando brigades and 2 artillery brigades; 5 border infantry regiments and 2 commando regiments. At the disposal of the training command are a training armored division, 4 training infantry and 2 training artillery brigades, numerous military educational institutions and training centers. In addition, the ground forces include numerous parts of the logistics and rear services.
Separately, it is worth noting the army aviation of the ground forces of Turkey, which includes 3 helicopter regiments, 1 regiment of attack helicopters and 1 transport helicopter group. Army aviation decides questions on support of operations of ground forces, their transport support.
Finally, we should not forget about the availability of a trained reserve, which is estimated at approximately 2.7 million people. These are reserve servicemen with good training, and many also have real experience in combat operations.
The ground forces of Turkey are well armed. They have over 3,500 tanks, including the German Leopard 1 (400 vehicles) and Leopard 2 (300 units), the American M60 (1,000 units), M47 and M48 (1,800 units); more than 5 thousand armored vehicles of various types; about 6,000 different types of artillery pieces, mortars, MLRS; up to 30 launchers of operational-tactical missiles, more than 3,800 anti-tank weapons (1,400 anti-tank systems and 2,400 anti-tank guns), portable anti-aircraft missile systems; about 400 army aviation helicopters, including the combat AN-1 Cobra, multipurpose S-70 Black Hawk, AS.532, UH-1, AV.204 / 206.
Personnel training and military education
The junior command staff (sergeants) of the Turkish army are taught in special training centers of the 4th field army. In addition, there are special non-commissioned officers' schools, which admit adolescents aged 14-15 with secondary education. Non-commissioned officers are also trained at special departments of military schools, only the training period is two to three years (depending on the specialty).
The officer corps is trained in educational institutions of several levels. First, these are preparatory educational institutions - military lyceums and gymnasiums, which have much in common with the system of Suvorov and Nakhimov schools in Russia.
Secondly, these are secondary military schools - infantry, armored, rocket, artillery, quartermaster, communications, technical, commando, intelligence, foreign languages. They train commanders of platoons, companies and batteries. The basic school is "Kara harp okulu", in which future officers are taught for 4 years, after which they are assigned to schools of the combat arms for 1-2 years.
Thirdly, this is the military academy of the ground forces, which accepts officers with the ranks of senior lieutenant - major, who have served at least 3 years in the army after graduating from military schools.
Finally, the highest level is the Academy of the Armed Forces, where graduates of the Army Academy are accepted and trained to work in the headquarters of divisions and armies, the General Staff, and the Turkish Ministry of Defense. In addition, there are a variety of courses, as well as the practice of training officers abroad.
Burgundy berets - Turkish special forces
Taking into account the specifics of the political situation in Turkey itself and its geographic location, the military command of the Turkish armed forces assigns a special role to military intelligence and special forces. It is they who bear the main burden in the fight against the armed formations of the Kurdistan Workers' Party and other radical groups, including in neighboring Syria and Iraq.
As part of the Turkish Armed Forces, there are Special Operations Forces (MTR), which are directly subordinate to the Chief of the Main Operations Directorate of the General Staff of the Turkish Armed Forces. But, although the MTR has been singled out as a separate command, it is still advisable to classify them as ground forces. The Command of the Special Operations Forces includes a headquarters, a training center, 3 special operations brigades, 1 search and rescue regiment in combat conditions, 1 search and rescue center in emergency situations, an aviation command, a support group and a special group for cooperation with the civil administration. In turn, in the headquarters of the MTR - 5 departments: operational, reconnaissance, rear, communications and administrative, as well as the headquarters company.
The Special Operations Forces brigade typically numbers about 600 and is led by a brigade commander with the rank of brigadier general. The brigade includes a headquarters and 8 battalions. The headquarters has 5 departments - personnel, operational and combat training, intelligence and counterintelligence, rear, communications, as well as 2 services - financial and medical.
The battalion of the MTR brigade consists of 6 reconnaissance and sabotage groups of 12 people each. The group consists of 2 officers (commander and deputy) and 10 sergeants (scout, operative, sniper, grenade launcher, 2 medics, 2 signalmen and 2 sappers).
A distinctive feature of the Turkish special forces servicemen is a burgundy beret. It is not so easy to become a special forces soldier - all officers and non-commissioned officers undergo special training, must be fluent in two or more foreign languages (such a requirement is also imposed on the non-commissioned officers).
Ground Forces in Turkish Foreign and Domestic Policy
The army has always played a major role in the political life of Turkey, being considered the number one pillar of power. This situation remains at the present time. Despite the fact that the Turkish armed forces were previously considered the support of the Kemalists, Recep Erdogan over the years of his rule managed to carry out a large-scale purge of the officer and non-commissioned officer corps of the armed forces, getting rid of all unreliable commanders.
In addition, a new generation of young Turkish officers and non-commissioned officers who adhere to religious and conservative values has already been brought up. It is the gendarmerie and ground forces that are most loyal to the incumbent President Erdogan, also because, in terms of the specifics of the manning of the officer corps, they differ from the naval and air forces.
The ground forces are Erdogan's most reliable support in the armed forces. They, together with the national gendarmerie, are widely involved in solving problems in the fight against Kurdish rebels, in the maintenance of public order in the "problem" regions of the country like Turkish Kurdistan.
In addition, the ground forces and especially the Special Operations Forces are actively involved in protecting Turkey's national interests abroad. So, units of the Turkish army were introduced to Syria, to Iraq. The details of many special operations involving the Turkish "Burgundy Berets" remain secret, but it can be assumed that the Turkish special forces have played and are playing an important role in supporting a number of Syrian radical groups fighting against the government forces of Bashar al-Assad.
Now, when Russia is about to deliver the S-400 air defense system to Turkey, and Western analysts are already talking about whether they will replace the Russian F-35 aircraft in the country's air force, the supply of which to Turkey the United States intends to limit, the question arises of how Russia to consider the Turkish armed forces, is it now an ally, a partner or a potential adversary? With all the mutual courtesies of Vladimir Putin and Recep Erdogan,supplies of military equipment and agreements on joint actions in Idlib, it is still worth leaning towards the third option.
Turkey is not leaving and is not going to leave the NATO bloc, which does not even hide its anti-Russian orientation. In Syria, Turkey's interests are in many ways in conflict with Russian interests, and Turkish instructors, of course, participate in the training of Syrian radical groups. Historically, Russia and Turkey fought more than were friends with each other, and although the times of the Russian-Turkish wars are in the past, this does not mean that one should lose vigilance in relation to such an active and dangerous southern neighbor.
