- Oct 3, 2018
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General Cemal Tural
Chief of the Main Directorate of Military Intelligence
The Main Directorate of Military Intelligence of the Turkish Armed Forces (Askerî İstihbarat Ana Başkanlığı, abbreviated as AİAB) is the foreign and military intelligence agency operating under the General Staff of the Turkish Armed Forces (Genelkurmay Başkanlığı). While much of its operations are classified, the AİAB is believed to be responsible for strategic military intelligence, foreign surveillance, battlefield intelligence, and covert military operations abroad. It also maintains its own special operations forces for high-risk and high-value missions.
The AİAB is considered the military counterpart to the National Intelligence Organization (Millî İstihbarat Teşkilatı, MİT), which is Türkiye’s primary civilian foreign and domestic intelligence agency. However, unlike the MİT whose Director reports directly to the President of the Republic of Türkiye, the AİAB operates strictly within the military chain of command. Its director is subordinate to the Chief of the General Staff and reports through the Ministry of National Defence (Millî Savunma Bakanlığı).
Functions and Responsibilities
- The core functions of the AİAB include:
- Collection and analysis of foreign military intelligence
- Monitoring regional military developments, especially in volatile zones such as the Eastern Mediterranean, the Caucasus, the Middle East, and the Balkans
- Providing tactical and strategic intelligence to Turkish commanders and defense planners
- Supporting counter-terrorism operations, particularly in cross-border contexts (e.g., northern Iraq and Syria)
- Cyber operations and electronic intelligence (ELINT/SIGINT)
- Coordination with allied military intelligence services
Although AİAB operates with significant autonomy, it is not a civilian intelligence agency. It falls entirely within the structure of the Turkish Armed Forces and its activities are governed by military law, internal regulations, and oversight from the National Security Council (Millî Güvenlik Kurulu) and Parliamentary Committee on Security and Intelligence in limited scope.
The AİAB collaborates with:
- MİT on hybrid threat assessments and regional intelligence
- Jandarma Genel Komutanlığı and Gendarmerie Intelligence for rural and cross-border internal security
Special Operations Command of the Main Directorate of Military Intelligence
(AİAB Özel Operasyonlar Komutanlığı, also known as the AİAB ÖOK)The Special Operations Command of the Main Directorate of Military Intelligence (AİAB Özel Harekat Kuvvetleri) is the elite special forces wing of Türkiye’s Main Directorate of Military Intelligence (AİAB). Functioning as the military's foreign and battlefield intelligence strike arm, these special units operate under the Chief of the Turkish General Staff and are tasked with clandestine operations, reconnaissance, sabotage, and direct-action missions abroad and in high-risk domestic theaters.
The AİAB ÖOK is considered one of the most secretive and capable units within the Turkish Armed Forces (Türk Silahlı Kuvvetleri, TSK), often deployed for missions that lie beyond the scope of conventional operations or that require political deniability.
Origins and Formation
Following the 1974 Cyprus Peace Operation, Turkish military planners came to a sobering realization: the Armed Forces lacked a dedicated, self-reliant intelligence and special operations capability that could operate independently of political shifts in Ankara. While the National Intelligence Organization (MİT) had strategic intelligence capabilities, it was increasingly viewed by military leaders as being compromised by political influence and factionalism.
In response, the General Staff of the Turkish Armed Forces began laying the groundwork for its own clandestine intelligence infrastructure in 1975. By 1979, a formal directive led to the establishment of the Askerî İstihbarat Ana Başkanlığı (AİAB), along with its own elite special operations force: AİAB ÖOK. These forces would be trained and deployed exclusively under military command, with a strict code of loyalty to the chain of command and the state, not to political parties or ideologies.
Rivalry with MİT
Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, a persistent institutional rivalry existed between MİT and AİAB, often driven by differing philosophies and operational mandates. Whereas MİT was prone to political interference and shifts in leadership with each administration, AİAB developed a reputation for professionalism, operational independence, and institutional continuity.
This division was particularly evident during Türkiye’s long war against the PKK insurgency. While MİT struggled to navigate the political dimensions of counterterrorism, AİAB ÖOK forces played a critical role in Türkiye's battlefield successes, especially during cross-border operations in Northern Iraq and high-risk infiltration missions into PKK-held mountainous zones.
By the early 2000s, AİAB ÖOK had cemented its reputation within military circles as a strategic asset and was credited with major successes in precision targeting, intelligence-led operations, and neutralizing high-value targets often in environments too politically sensitive for regular forces.
Modus Operandi and Capabilities
The AİAB Komandoski is structured around small, highly mobile and self-sustained units trained for:
- Covert infiltration and sabotage
- Hostage rescue and high-value target elimination
- Cross-border counterterrorism
- Electronic and cyber warfare
- Foreign surveillance and intelligence gathering
- Close-quarters combat and direct-action raids
- Counter-insurgency and unconventional warfare
Their training emphasizes mountain warfare, arctic survival, amphibious operations, urban combat, and intelligence integration. Many operatives are drawn from elite units within the Special Forces Command (ÖKK), Underwater Offense (SAT), and Airborne Commando Brigades, undergoing further specialized training under AİAB doctrine.
Operational History
1984–1999:
AİAB ÖOK units were instrumental during the early stages of the PKK insurgency. By the mid-1990s, specialized teams had been embedded with Turkish units operating in the Şırnak, Hakkâri, and Tunceli regions. Notably, in Operation Steel (1995) and Operation Dawn (1997), AİAB operatives played key roles in dismantling PKK logistical networks in Northern Iraq.
2004–present:
As part of Türkiye’s modernization of its military intelligence, the AİAB launched foreign reconnaissance detachments that operated in Syria, Iran, and the Caucasus. With the eruption of the Syrian Civil War, AİAB ÖOK were deployed covertly to monitor and, at times, disrupt hostile militias and extremist networks threatening Turkish interests near Aleppo and Idlib. Turkish Intelligence is rumored to have been involved in helping the Syrian rebels in their lightning offensive to recapture control of the country from the Russian-backed dictator President Al-Bashir.
2006–present:
AİAB has played a major role in guiding Turkish operations in Syria, providing target intelligence, deep reconnaissance, and on-the-ground battlefield coordination. These operations marked the first public acknowledgment by Turkish leadership of "deep military intelligence support elements" working alongside conventional units.
Structure and Deployment
AİAB ÖOK forces are believed to be structured into three operational regiments:
- 1st Special Reconnaissance Battalion – Based in Silopi, specialized in mountain warfare and cross-border infiltration into Northern Iraq and Syria.
- 2nd Strategic Operations Battalion – Based in Konya, tasked with long-range planning, cyber-intelligence, and advanced technical operations.
- 3rd Maritime and Airborne Detachment – Based in Aksaz Naval Base, trained for amphibious raids, ship-boarding, and coastal reconnaissance missions.
Each battalion operates semi-independently but reports directly to the Special Operations Department of the AİAB General Command in Ankara.
Current Role and Future Outlook
In today’s security climate, AİAB ÖOK represents a core part of Türkiye’s hybrid warfare doctrine, combining conventional strength with intelligence-driven asymmetry. Operatives have been increasingly tasked with:
- Countering foreign proxy militias
- Disrupting terrorist financing and logistics
- Supporting drone-based surveillance and precision targeting
- Participating in overseas military training missions in Africa, Central Asia, and the Middle East
Despite political tensions and periodic scrutiny over its opaque operations, the AİAB ÖOK is widely respected within the General Staff and Türkiye's partners for its discipline, capabilities, and operational maturity.
Note: the formations posted below are considered in development and are not yet at full strength of equipment or manpower.
The following information is classified and protected.
Disclosing the information below is considered a federal offense and punishable under the Turkish Criminal Code.
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