Turkish General Staff
From Biocrawler, the free encyclopedia.
The armed forces of the Turkish Republic, having great geopolitical and geostrategic importance, comprise the Army, Navy and Air Force that are subordinate to the Turkish General Staff. The General Command of Gendarmerie and the Coast Guard Command, which operate as the parts of internal security forces in peacetime, are subordinate to the Army and Navy Commands, respectively in wartime, has both so law enforcement and military functions
The Chief of General Staff is the commander of the armed forces. In wartime, he acts as the Commander in Chief on behalf of the President. Commanding the armed forces and establishing the policies and programs related with the preparation for combat of personnel, intelligence, operations, organization, training and logistic services are the responsibilities of the Turkish General Staff. Furthermore, the Turkish General Staff coordinates the military relations of the Turkish Armed Forces with NATO and other friendly nations.
According to protocol, the Chief General Staff, the "J-1", ranks only fifth in the Turkish state's hierarchy, behind the President of the Republic, the president of the constitutional council, the president of the national assembly and the Prime Minister.
Defense organization
The hierarchy, representation and employment of the Turkish Armed Forces within Turkish State organization is regulated by the constitution. According to the constitution, the office of Commander in Chief is represented in the spiritual entity of Turkish Grand National Assembly. The Chief of General Staff is appointed by the President as Commander of the Armed Forces and reports to Prime Minister. The Council of Ministers is responsible to Turkish Grand National Assembly for national security and the preparation of the armed forces to defend the country. However, authority to declare a state of war and send Turkish Armed Forces to foreign countries or allow foreign armed forces to be stationed in Turkey rests with Turkish Grand National Assembly.
Prime Minister
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Chief ← (Coordination) → Minister of
General Staff National Defense
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Army Navy Air Force
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Gendarmerie Coast Guard
The Chief of the Turkish General Staff is responsible to the Prime Minister and is charged with the overall command and control of the Turkish Armed Forces. He is also responsible for
- conducting the military operations effectively and
- the operational readiness of Turkish Armed Forces.
The commanders of the three services (Army, Navy and Air Force) report directly to the Chief of the Turkish General Staff. Turkish General Staff and the Ministry of National Defense work in close coordination and cooperation to fulfill their respective responsibilities. The General Command of Gendarmerie and the Coast Guard Command, as a part of the intemal security forces, are affiliated with the Ministry of Interior Affairs at peacetime, whereas at war-time, they fall under Army Command and Navy Command, respectively.
Source
This article contains information that originally came from a Turkish Armed Forces website (http://www.tsk.mil.tr/eng/index.htm), in the public domain.
