- Oct 3, 2018
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Chief of the Land Forces Gen. Yaşar Güler | 
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The Turkish Land Forces (Turkish: Türk Kara Kuvvetleri), or Turkish Army (Turkish: Türk Kara Ordusu), is the main branch of the Turkish Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. The army was formed on November 8, 1920, after the collapse of the Ottoman Empire. The army holds the preeminent place within the armed forces. It is customary for the Chief of the General Staff of the Turkish Armed Forces to have been the Commander of the Turkish Land Forces prior to his appointment as Turkey's senior ranking officer.
The Turkish Army traces its origin to the Ottoman Army which were founded in 1363, when the Pençik corps (the predecessor of the Janissary Corps, the first full time professional military force established in Europe after the Roman legions) had been formed.
The Turkish War of Independence (19 May 1919 – 24 July 1923) was a series of military campaigns by the Turkish National Movement following the attempted dismemberment of the Ottoman Empire and the brutal occupation of the Turkish homeland. These campaigns were directed against the occupational forces of Greece in the west, Armenia in the east, France in the south, and British troops around İstanbul.
The Turkish Army also participated in the Korean War as a member state of the United Nations. Of the 5,000 soldiers of the Turkish Brigade, 731 were martyred. They fought in the Battle of Wawon, where it was credited with saving the U.S. 2nd Infantry Division from encirclement. The brigade also fought at Gimnyangjang-ni, 'Operation Ripper,' or the Fourth Battle of Seoul, and the Battle of the Hook.
In July 1974, Türkiye launched an operation to stop the ethnic cleansing of ethnic Turks in Cyprus. The intervention was undertaken as per Türkiye's rights under the Cyprus guarantee agreement when a coup organized by EOKA-B and led by Nikos Sampson ousted the democratically elected Cypriot President Archbishop Makarios III in order to establish Enosis (Union) between Cyprus and Greece. The coup was backed by the Greek Government.
Turksh Forces launched an amphibious landing force, directed by the 6th Corps, forming a beachhead at Kyrenia's Five Mile Beach. The 6th Corps formed a bridgehead in the Turkish Cypriot enclave of Agyrta-Nicosia and pushed back Greek Cypriot forces, committing atrocities across the Turkish enclave.
Following Greece's refusal to leave the island and continued support to Greek Cypriot militias, Türkiye expanded its operation and following a seres of engagements, the Greek Cypriot defences collapsed in a matter of days. Turkish forces, spearheaded by the 28th and 39th Infantry Divisions, liberated 37% of the island, including the towns of Famagusta, Varosha, and Morphou.
Türkiye's timely intervention saved a significant portion of the ethnic Turk population in Cyprus and has led to a division of the island with the Turkish Cypriot controlled north and the Greek Cypriot controlled south. Türkiye still maintains troops in Cyprus, since a political solution could not yet and the potential of Greece annexing the southern half, has prompted fears by the Turkish Cypriot community of intercommunal violence by the Greeks.
Since 2006, Türkiye has undergrone a massive modernizaition effort. The Land Forces aim at being equipped with new opportunities and capabilities in order to carry out its duty in full strength against a large variety of threats, varying from classical threats to asymmetrical ones.
Within this period of time, the Land Forces will gradually decrease by 20 to 30 percent in terms of the number of personnel and force formations. It will be equipped with modern arms and war devices as the distinct features of this new formation. Thus ,the battle capability will be given to high-ranking brigades. Moreover, with the Combat Zone Management System, the land tactical map will be numerically formed in real-time or close to real-time, and constant tracking will be provided.
Alongside the other two armed services, the Turkish Army has frequently intervened in Turkish politics, a custom that is now regulated to an extent by the reform of the National Security Council. It assumed power for several periods in the latter half of the 20th century. From late 1995, the Turkish Army (along with the rest of the Armed Forces) saw its personnel strengths increased to a similar level as the previous decade. Factors that contributed to this growth include the Turkish occupation of northern Syria, as well as a renewal of the Kurdish-Turkish conflict.
Following the rise of a Communist Government, the Turkish Land Forces underwent a period of intense internal scrutiny and restructuring. In a sweeping move to eliminate perceived threats to the regime, thousands of officers, particularly those with suspected affiliations to the secularist Kemalist tradition, were purged from the ranks. The once-prestigious army, historically viewed as the guardian of Turkey's secular republic, saw a drastic decline in institutional autonomy and influence. In its place, the newly formed People's Revolutionary Guard Corps (PRGC) emerged as the regime’s favored security apparatus, drawing disproportionate funding, equipment, and authority.
As the Communist Government consolidated power, defense spending and institutional priorities were reoriented toward internal security and regime preservation rather than traditional external defense roles. The PRGC, conceived as a loyal paramilitary force under direct government control, received the lion’s share of modern weaponry, training, and logistical support. This strategic shift left the regular army underfunded and sidelined, leading to concerns about the long-term readiness and morale of the Turkish Land Forces. Nevertheless, the army continues to maintain a significant presence and plays a role in external operations, though now under tighter political oversight and diminished institutional clout.
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Disclosing the information below is considered a federal offense and punishable under Russia's Federal Criminal Code.
Turkish Ground Forces 
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MINISTRY OF NATIONAL DEFENSE OF THE REPUBLIC OF TÜRKİYE
Security Clearance: Secure and Encrypted
Security Clearance: Secure and Encrypted
Tier 1 ÖKK Kommandos 5,000/5,000 | 
Tier 2 ÖHB Kommandos 12,150/12,150 |
Motorlu 110,975/110,975 | 
Mekanize 21,195/21,195 |
Paraşütçü 57,282/57,282 | 
Askari 37,480/37,480 |
Vehicle Crew 58,087/58,087 | 
Artillerymen 46,861/46,861 | 
Engineers 24,695/24,695 |
Signals 28,497/28,497 | 
Logistics 59,924/59,924 | 
Medical 19,185/19,185 |
Maintenance 25,918/25,918 | 
Military Police 3,133/3,133 | 
Intelligence 1,790/1,790 |
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