Turkish Armed Forces

Turkey is currently the only NATO member that is actually preparing for war with several neighboring countries at once, and Turkey's main potential adversary is another NATO member, Greece. Turkey retains the conscription principle of manning the Armed Forces, which, in terms of the number of personnel and the number of weapons and equipment, rank second in NATO after the United States. At the same time, the personnel have experience in military operations (against the Kurds), the resistance to their own losses is much higher than that of any other NATO army.

The country has a powerful military-industrial complex capable of producing military equipment of almost all classes. At the same time, in the military-technical sphere, Ankara cooperates both with the main Western countries (primarily with the United States and Germany), as well as with China, Russia, the Republic of Korea, and Indonesia. The weakest point of the Turkish Armed Forces is a very high proportion of obsolete equipment. In addition, the high command of the Armed Forces has recently been subjected to massive repression by the political leadership of the country. This was manifested in the not very successful military operations against the Kurds in northern Syria in 2016-18.

Ground troops have four field armies (PA) and one command, as well as the 15th training infantry division.

1st PA (headquarters in Istanbul) is responsible for the defense of the European part of the country and the zone of the Black Sea straits. It has three army corps (AK) - 2nd, 3rd and 5th.

2nd AK(Gelibolu) includes the 4th, 8th, 18th motorized infantry brigades, the 95th armored brigade, the 5th commando brigade (SOF), the 102nd artillery regiment.

3rd AK(Istanbul) is considered part of the NATO RRF. It includes the 52nd armored division, the 23rd motorized infantry division (6th, 23rd, 47th motorized infantry regiments), the 2nd armored and 66th motorized infantry brigades.

5th AK(Chorlu) includes the 1st and 3rd armored brigades, the 54th, 55th, 65th motorized infantry brigades, the 105th artillery regiment, and the engineering regiment.

2nd PA (Malatya) is responsible for the defense of the south-east of the country, the borders with Syria and Iraq. It is she who is fighting the Kurds. It has three AKs - 4th, 6th, 7th.

4th AK(Ankara) includes the 28th motorized infantry, 1st and 2nd commandos (SOF), 58th artillery brigades, regiment of the presidential guard.

6th AK(Adana) includes the 5th armored, 39th motorized infantry brigades, 106th artillery regiment.

7th AK(Diyarbakir) includes the 3rd infantry division, the 16th and 70th mechanized brigades, the 2nd, 6th motorized infantry brigades, the 20th and 172nd armored brigades, the 34th border brigade, the special forces mountain brigade, 3rd Commando Brigade, 107th Artillery Regiment.

3rd PA (Erzinjan) is responsible for the defense of the north-east of the country, the borders with Georgia and Armenia. It includes two AKs - the 8th and 9th.

8th AK(Elazig) includes the 1st, 12th, 51st motorized infantry brigades, the 4th, 10th, 49th commando brigades, the 17th motorized infantry regiment, and the 108th artillery regiment.

9th AK(Erzurum) includes the 4th armored brigade, 9th, 14th, 25th, 48th motorized infantry brigades, 109th artillery regiment.

4th Aegean PA (Izmir) responsible for the defense of the southwest of the country, i.e. coast of the Aegean Sea, as well as the northern part of Cyprus (recognized only by Turkey itself as the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus). It has a transport division, 11th commando, 19th infantry, 1st and 3rd infantry training, 57th artillery training brigades, 2nd infantry regiment. The 11th AK is stationed in Cyprus. It includes the 28th and 39th infantry divisions, the 14th armored brigade, artillery, 41st and 49th special forces regiments.

Army Aviation Command has in its composition the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th regiments of army aviation.

In recent years, Turkey has become the second (after Bulgaria) NATO country armed with tactical missiles. These are 72 American ATACMS (launchers for them are MLRS MLRS) and at least 100 of their own J-600Ts copied from Chinese B-611s.

The Turkish armed forces number 510,700 people (of which approximately 148,700 are civil servants). For mobilization in wartime, a military-trained reserve of up to 900,000 people can be used, including 380,000 - the reserve of the first stage.

The Turkish army is recruited by conscription, the draft age is 20 years, the period of compulsory military service is 15 months. Upon dismissal from the army, a citizen is considered liable for military service and is in the reserve until the age of 45. In wartime, in accordance with the law, men aged 16 to 60 years old and women from 20 to 46 years old who are able to wear can be drafted into the army.

The supreme body of operational command of the armed forces is the General Staff, which is led by the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces. He is appointed by the President on the recommendation of the Council of Ministers. The commanders-in-chief of the types of armed forces are subordinate to him: the ground forces (SV), the air force (Air Force), the naval forces (Navy), the gendarmerie (numbering up to 150 thousand people) and the coast guard. According to the Turkish table of ranks, the chief of the General Staff ranks fourth after the president, the speaker of parliament and the prime minister.

STRUCTURE

The ground forces (Türk Kara Kuvvetleri) are subordinate to the commander-in-chief of the SV and number 391,000 people. Organizationally, most of the formations and units of the SV are reduced to 5 operational associations: field armies and an operational group in the Turkish part of Cyprus.
* 1st Field Army, headquarters in Istanbul, grouping of troops near the borders with Greece and Bulgaria.
- 2nd AK (Galipoli): 4th, 18th mechanized brigade; 54th, 55th and 65th pbr.
- 3rd AK (Istanbul): 52nd brtd (1st, 2nd brigade; 66 mechanized brigade), operationally subordinate to NATO command.
- 5th AK (Corlu): 3rd, 95th brigade; 8th Mechanized Brigade
* 2nd Field Army, headquarters in Malata, grouping of troops near the borders with Syria, Iraq, Iran.
- 6th AK (Adana): 5th brigade, 39th mechanized brigade.
- 7th AK (Diyarbakir): 3rd infantry division (6th infantry brigade; 6th, 16th mechanized brigade); 23rd PBR; 70th Mechanized Brigade
- 8th AK (Elazig): 20th, 172nd brig.
- Regiment CH.
* 3rd Field Army, headquarters in Erzinjan, grouping of troops near the borders of Armenia and Georgia.
- 9th AK (Erzurum): 4th brigade; 1st, 2nd, 9th, 12th, 14th, 25th mechbr; 34th, 48th, 49th, 51st pbr.
- 4 AK (Ankara): 1st PBR, 28th Mechanized Brigade; 58 arbr.
* Aegean (4th) field army, headquarters in Izmir, grouping of troops along the western coast of Turkey.
- 19th PBR; 11th Mechanized Brigade; 57th Arbr.
- Regiment CH.
* Cypriot Group of Forces (Girna).
- 28th, 39th md; 14th brigade, group CH.

Under the operational subordination of the army commanders are six separate artillery regiments and four army aviation regiments.
Two infantry regiments (23rd and 47th), special operations forces consisting of 5 commando brigades and separate army regiments of the SN (available in the 2nd and 4th field armies) are directly subordinated to the Main Command of the SV through the command of special operations. Through the command of the army aviation, four regiments of the army aviation are subordinate to it. Recently, a "humanitarian aid" brigade appeared under the direct subordination of the Commander-in-Chief of the Army.
The training of FD specialists takes place in training units and training centers:
1st, 3rd, 5th and 15th infantry training brigades;
59th training artillery brigade (Erzinjan);
armored forces training center (Etimesgut).

Persons called up for active service and intended to fill the positions of junior commanders are sent to training units, formations and training centers for sergeants and non-commissioned officers. In the ground forces, such training is entrusted to the training command of the Aegean (4th) Field Army. Sergeants and non-commissioned officers are represented by two categories - fixed-term and extra-long service. Non-commissioned officers are trained in special departments at military schools of the armed forces for 2–3 years. These departments are completed on a voluntary basis by soldiers and sailors of military service with a secondary education, as well as graduates of preparatory non-commissioned officer schools, which accept persons aged 14-16 who have completed primary school and have a complete secondary education. The minimum term of service for non-commissioned officers is 15 years.

The highest level of selection is envisaged in the recruitment of officer cadres. This is achieved through the voluntary admission of young men to military schools and a set of checks of political reliability, which makes it possible to form an officer corps mainly from highly educated sections of the population. The training of officers is carried out in military educational institutions, which include lyceums (military gymnasiums and progymnasiums - an approximate analogue of the Russian Suvorov schools), higher schools of the branches of the armed forces, secondary schools of military branches and military academies. Officers are also trained in the military faculties of civilian higher educational institutions.

Secondary military educational institutions of the arms and services (infantry, armored, missile, artillery, reconnaissance, foreign languages, technical, quartermaster, communications, commandos) train lower-level officers - commanders of platoons, groups, companies and batteries.

The main link in the training of officers of the SV is the higher school "Kara harp okulu" (Kara harp okulu). In this military educational institution, future officers receive higher general and secondary military education. The term of study is 4 years. After graduating from college, graduates are awarded the rank of "lieutenant". Further, graduates, as a rule, are sent for one or two years to schools of military branches and services.

Only officers who are graduates of military schools in the ranks of senior lieutenant-major, who have served in the army for at least three years, are admitted to the military academy. The term of study is 2 years.

Only graduates of the academies of the branches of the armed forces can become students of the academy of the armed forces. They are trained to work in the apparatus of the Ministry of Defense, in the General Staff, in the joint headquarters of NATO, in the headquarters of the division-army link. The training period is five months. Along with military schools, there is a network of courses for the retraining of officers in the armed forces. Some officers undergo retraining abroad, mainly in the USA and the FRG.

The main tactical formation in the Turkish Army is the brigade. In 2009, the SV included 9 tank, 16 mechanized and 11 infantry brigades. As a rule, brigades are directly subordinate to an army corps or are part of divisions.

A tank battalion consists of a control and headquarters (2 tanks), three tank companies, a control platoon, a support platoon, and a maintenance platoon. A tank company consists of 13 tanks (company commander's tank, four platoons of three tanks each). There are 41 tanks in total in the battalion.

According to the program "Armed Forces - 2014" adopted in 2007, by the end of 2014, it is planned to reduce the number of ground troops to 280-300 thousand, while equipping the troops with modern weapons and military equipment and controls. It is planned to liquidate two field armies (3rd field and 4th Aegean), create a single command of three types of armed forces (land forces, air force and navy) and transform the existing General Staff into a corresponding "unified" headquarters, to which the commands of the types of the armed forces will be subordinated . On the basis of the headquarters of the 1st field army and the 2nd field army, the commands of the Western and Eastern groups of forces will be created, and the entire territory of Turkey will be divided into two parts in military-administrative and operational terms.

In recent years, the size of the Turkish army has been reduced by 10-20 thousand people a year, many formations and units have been disbanded. For example, over the past three years, 5 tank brigades out of 14 have been disbanded, the remaining 9 tank brigades are equipped with modern and modernized equipment. Part of the infantry brigades was disbanded, and some were transferred to the states of mechanized brigades. The task of combating the military formations of the Kurdish separatists is entirely shifted to the gendarmerie, for which it is strengthened by the BTT transferred from the SV.

Leopard 2A4 Turkish army on the street in Ankara

WEAPONS AND MILITARY EQUIPMENT

Armored vehicles in the Turkish army are represented by foreign models and samples of their own production. Tanks are considered the main striking force in the army. According to the data submitted by Turkey to the UN Register, there were 3363 tanks in the Armed Forces as of December 31, 2007. Tanks are part of the mechanized (1 battalion) and tank (3 battalions) brigades, units of the 28th and 39th mechanized divisions.

In recent years, Turkey has been actively disposing of obsolete tanks and at the same time modernizing its combat-ready equipment. The ambitious project to create its own Altay tank, which has been widely advertised in recent years, entered the contract stage (signed on July 29, 2008 with the Turkish company OTOKAR as a general contractor and the Korean company Hyundai-Rotem as a subcontractor), the initial batch of tanks was planned to be released in 2012. In the current situation, Turkey has taken very practical measures: it has purchased Leopard 2 tanks from Germany, and is modernizing Leopard 1 and M60 tanks. Data on the number of specific types of armored personnel carriers in the Turkish army are contradictory. Based on the study and comparison of various sources, the most reliable figures were obtained.

339 Leopard 2A4 tanks delivered from Germany. It is planned to upgrade by the Turkish company ASELSAN to the A6 level.
77 Leopard 1A3/TU tanks, delivered from Germany, Turkish modernization with the installation of the Volkan FCS.
150 Leopard 1A4/T1 tanks, delivered from Germany, German modernization with the installation of the EMES12 A3 FCS.
165 Leopard 1A1A1/T tanks, delivered from Germany, Turkish modernization with the installation of the Volkan FCS.
658 M60A3 TTS tanks (American modernization, with a combined AN / VSG-2 gunner's thermal imaging sight).
274 M60A1 tanks.
104 tanks М60А1 RISE (Passive), American modernization, with passive night devices for the commander and driver.
170 M60-T Sabra tanks, Israeli modernization of the M60A1, with the installation of a 120-mm gun and a modern FCS.
over 1200 M48 tanks of various modifications.

Leopard 1 of the Turkish army on exercises

М60А3 TTS of the Turkish army on exercises

M60-T Sabra of the Turkish army on parade in Ankara

M48 tanks are currently withdrawn from linear formations (with the exception of 287 M48A5T1 / T2 units as part of Turkish troops in Cyprus). They are used in training centers (for example, to mark the enemy, run-in infantry), put into storage, partially converted into ARVs and bridge layers, disassembled for spare parts, disposed of.

Armored combat vehicles are represented by tracked infantry fighting vehicles, tracked and wheeled armored personnel carriers, vehicles based on them. According to the UN Register, at the end of 2007, there were 4625 AFVs in the SV and gendarmerie.

BMP ACV-300 from the Turkish contingent of NATO forces in Bosnia and Herzegovina (SFOR)

563 BMP ACV-300, an analogue of the American model YP-765 based on the M113. It is available in two versions: with a DAF turret equipped with a 25 mm Oerlikon Contraves AP; with a Giat turret equipped with a 25 mm M811 AP.
102 BMP FNSS Akinci. Variant of the BMP AVC-300 with a six-support undercarriage and a turret from the American BMP M2 Bradley.
1031 ACV-300APC armored personnel carrier based on M113. It is equipped with a turret with a 12.7-mm Browning KKP, has a troop compartment for 13 people.
about 1800 armored personnel carriers M113 A/A1/A2/T2/T3.
52 armored personnel carrier FNSS Pars 6x6. 650 6x6 and 8x8 vehicles ordered.
100 armored personnel carriers Cobra 4x4.
260 armored personnel carrier Akrep 4x4.
102 armored personnel carrier Yavuz 8x8.
340 BTR-60PB, supplied from Germany, used by the gendarmerie.
240 BTR-80, supplied from Russia, used by the gendarmerie.

Turkish BMP FNSS Akinci

Turkish armored personnel carrier ACV-300APC in the park of the 14th mechanized brigade

Turkish armored personnel carrier FNSS Pars 8x8 in the version with 25-mm AP

Turkish armored personnel carriers Cobra on exercises

Turkish BTR Akrep

Turkish BTR Yavuz

Field artillery is represented by self-propelled mortars on the M113 and FNSS chassis, self-propelled howitzers and guns, towed systems, multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS) of various types. There are 6110 tables in total.

108 T-155 Storm self-propelled guns, total ordered 350 units.
287 self-propelled guns M110.
36 self-propelled guns M107.
9 self-propelled guns M55.
222 self-propelled guns M44T.
365 self-propelled guns M52T.
26 self-propelled guns M108T.
about 5,000 towed guns and mortars, including about 1,000 105 and 155 mm caliber guns, 2,000 107 and 120 mm caliber mortars, and 3,000 81 mm mortars.
about 550 self-propelled and towed MLRS caliber 107-300 mm.

Turkish self-propelled guns T-155 Storm at the parade in Ankara

Turkish self-propelled guns M52T

Turkish MLRS T-122 at the arms exhibition

Turkish SAM Atilgan with SAM "Stinger"

Anti-tank weapons are represented by self-propelled anti-tank systems (156 M113 TOW ATGMs and 48 FNSS ACV-300 TOW ATGMs), portable and transportable ATGMs, RPGs. The number of portable and portable ATGM launchers exceeds 2400 units (Cobra, Eryx, TOW, Milan, Cornet, Competition). The Turkish army has over 5,000 RPG-7s and over 40,000 M72A2s.
Air defense systems include over 2,800 anti-aircraft small-caliber guns and ZSU, the army has over 1,900 portable anti-aircraft missile systems (MANPADS Red Eye, Stinger, Igla), as well as 105 self-propelled systems (Atilgan and Zipkin) with Stinger missiles.

Turkish infantry on exercises

Army aviation is armed with 44 AH-1 Cobra combat helicopters, S-70 Black Hawk (98), AS-532 (89), UH-1 (106), AB-204/206 (49) and Mi-17 multi-purpose helicopters (18 units, used by the gendarmerie).
Small arms are represented by a wide range of samples:
submachine guns HK MP5;
automatic rifles and machine guns G3, HK33, M16, M4A1, AK-47;
sniper rifles SVD, T-12, JNG-90, Phonix Robar 12.7;
light and unified machine guns MG-3, HK21, FN Minimi, PK, PKS;
heavy machine guns Browning, KPVT.

FINDINGS

The strengths of the Turkish army are:

High prestige and support of the armed forces in the broad strata of Turkish society;
the exclusive position of officers in the military environment and in society;
a stable vertical of military command, corporate and clan (by branches of service, units) solidarity;
strict military discipline in units and subunits;
saturation of the army with military equipment and heavy weapons;
the presence of modern means of control in the operational and tactical levels;
integration into communications, command and control and air defense systems of NATO;
systematic combat and operational training of troops;
the presence of its own industrial base for the production, repair and modernization of ammunition, means of control and communications, many types of weapons and military equipment.

OPERATIONAL CAPABILITIES

The 1st, 2nd and 3rd field armies are capable of independently creating operational groupings of about 50,000 people and 300-350 tanks each by peacetime forces. Although the Russian Federation does not have a border with Turkey, the potential for a military clash with the Turkish army exists due to two factors.

Deployment of formations of the 9th army corps

The first factor is the existence of a defensive treaty between the Russian Federation and the Republic of Armenia. Two separate motorized rifle brigades (formerly the 102nd military base) of the Russian army are deployed on the territory of Armenia in Yerevan and Gyumri. Units of the 9th Army Corps of the 3rd Field Army of the Turkish Army are deployed near the borders of Armenia, consisting of one tank, six mechanized and four infantry brigades. With these forces, the Turkish army is able in a relatively short time (5-7 days) to create an offensive grouping of 40-50 thousand people, 350-370 tanks, up to 700 guns, mortars and MLRS field artillery, an army aviation regiment in the Gyumri-Yerevan operational direction , providing support for the grouping by several squadrons of front-line aviation. Within 15-20 days it is possible to increase this grouping to 80-100 thousand people, 600-700 tanks and 1200-1300 guns and mortars.
The second factor is Georgia's likely accession to NATO. In this case, it is possible to deploy a grouping of the Turkish army on the territory of Georgia in one operational direction: either Abkhazia (according to the defensive agreement with Abkhazia, a Russian motorized rifle brigade is deployed here), or Tskhinvali (according to the defensive agreement with South Ossetia, a Russian motorized rifle brigade is also deployed here). The special physical and geographical conditions of the theater of operations and the limited road network increase the time for the relocation and deployment of the Turkish group (40-50 thousand people, 350-370 tanks, 700 guns, mortars and field artillery MLRS) to 12-15 days (with transportable supplies) or up to 20-25 days (with the accumulation of stocks for the entire duration of the operation). On the coastal flank of the Abkhazian ON, the Turkish fleet is able to support the actions of the army by landing an operational-tactical amphibious assault force up to a brigade.
At the same time, for a group advancing in one operational direction, there is a threat of a flank strike from another operational direction. It seems difficult to create a grouping sufficient for actions on two divergent OH at the same time. The capacity of the theater of operations is limited, the terms of operational deployment increase in this case to 25-30 days, which largely devalues ​​such a solution.

In the 21st century, a large number of modern states are striving for peaceful coexistence with other countries. In other words, people are tired of wars. This trend began to gain momentum after the Second World War. This conflict made it clear that the next large-scale clash could endanger not only the foundations of the world, but the existence of humanity as a whole. Therefore, today many armies are used exclusively for organizing internal defense against any external aggressors. Nevertheless, local conflicts still arise in various parts of the planet. There is no escape from this negative factor. In order to prevent a full-scale war, some states invest a lot of money in the defense of their country. This helps to create the latest technologies that can be used in the military field of activity. It is worth noting that one of the most developed and effective today is the Turkish Armed Forces. They have a rather interesting history, which determines many of the formation traditions that exist in his work to this day. At the same time, the Turkish army is well equipped, and also divided into component structures that help it effectively implement all the main tasks.

History of the Turkish Armed Forces - early period

The Turkish army dates back to the 14th century AD. It should be noted that this period belonged to the Ottoman Empire. The state got its name by the name of the first ruler, Osman I, who conquered several small countries, which necessitated the creation of a monarchical (imperial) form of government. By this time, the Turkish army already included several separate formations, which were used quite effectively in the process of implementing combat missions. What did the Armed Forces of the Ottoman Empire have in their composition?

1. Seratkul's army is an auxiliary force. As a rule, it was created by provincial rulers to protect their possessions. It consisted of infantry and cavalry.
2. The professional state army was the army of the capicula. The formation included many divisions. The main ones were infantry, artillery, fleet and cavalry. Financing of the capicula army was carried out from the state treasury.
3. The auxiliary forces of the Ottoman army were the toprakla army, as well as detachments of fighters recruited from the provinces subject to tribute.

The influence of European culture marked the beginning of a large number of transformations in the army. Already in the 19th century, the formations were completely reorganized. This process was carried out with the use of European experts in the military field. The vizier became the head of the army. At the same time, the Janissary corps were liquidated. The basis of the Ottoman Empire at that time was the regular cavalry, infantry and artillery. At the same time, there were irregular troops, which in fact were a reserve.

The late period of the development of the Ottoman army

By the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th century, Turkey was at the peak of its development both militarily and economically. Aircraft began to be used in the activities of the army, as well as universal firearms. As for the fleet, the ships, as a rule, were ordered by the Turkish army in Europe. But due to the difficult political situation within the state in the 20th century, the armed forces of the Ottoman Empire cease to exist, because the state of the same name disappears. Instead, the Republic of Turkey appears, which exists to this day.

Turkish Armed Forces: Modernity

In the 21st century, the armed forces are a combination of various branches of the state's troops. They are intended to protect the country from external aggression, to preserve its territorial integrity. The command of the Turkish Armed Forces is carried out through the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Ministry of Defense. It should be noted that ground forces are of great importance, as will be discussed later. They are second in strength in the NATO bloc. As for the internal coordination of activities, it is implemented through the General Staff. The Commander-in-Chief of the Turkish Army concurrently is the head of the represented body. The General Staff, in turn, is subordinate to the commanders of the respective branches of the armed forces.

Turkish army strength

In terms of numbers, the formation presented in the article is one of the largest in the world. The Turkish army has 410 thousand personnel. This figure includes regular military personnel belonging to all military branches without exception. In addition, about 185,000 reservists are part of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Turkey. Thus, in the event of a full-scale war, the state can assemble a sufficiently strong combat vehicle that will perfectly cope with the tasks assigned to it.

Formation structure

The strength of the Turkish army depends on many factors, one of which is the structure. This feature affects the effectiveness and operational use of the Turkish Armed Forces in the event of an unforeseen attack or other negative points. It should be noted that the army is organized in a classical way, that is, according to a model generally accepted in the world. The structure includes the following types of troops:

• land;
• naval;
• air.

As we know, this type of armed forces can be seen in almost all modern states. After all, this kind of system allows you to use the army as efficiently as possible both in combat conditions and in peacetime.

What are the Turkish ground forces?

The Turkish army, the comparison of which with other armed forces and the analysis of combat capability today are made quite often, is famous for its ground forces. This is not surprising, because this type of troops has a long and interesting history, which was already mentioned earlier in the article. It should be noted that this structural element of the Armed Forces is a formation, which consists mostly of infantry, as well as mechanized units. To date, the strength of the Turkish army, namely the ground forces, is about 391 thousand personnel. The formation is used to engage enemy forces on land. In addition, some special units of the ground forces carry out reconnaissance and sabotage activities behind enemy lines. It should be noted that relative ethnic homogeneity affects the strength wielded by the Turkish army. Kurds serving in the national forces, given the difficult situation in which they find themselves, do not experience any harassment.

The composition of the ground forces

It should be noted that the ground formations of Turkey, in turn, are divided into smaller groups. From this it follows that we can talk about the structure of the ground forces of the Armed Forces of the country. To date, this element includes the following units:

• infantry;
• artillery;
• special forces, or "commandos".

Tank units are also of great importance. After all, the Turkish Armed Forces has a large number of such military vehicles.

Armament of the ground forces

It should be noted that the armament of the Turkish army is at a fairly high level compared to other states of Europe and the Middle East. As mentioned earlier, the ground forces are equipped with a large number of tanks. As a rule, these are "Leopards" of a German manufacturer or American ones. Also, Turkey is armed with about 4625 thousand infantry fighting vehicles. The number of artillery guns is 6110 thousand units. If we talk about the personal safety of soldiers, then it is ensured by sufficiently high-quality and practical weapons. As a rule, fighters use NK MP5 submachine guns, SVD, T-12 sniper rifles, Browning heavy machine guns, etc.

Turkish navy

Like other elements of the Armed Forces, the Navy is a fairly significant part, which is entrusted with very specific functions. First of all, it should be noted that at the current stage of development, the Republic of Turkey needs the naval forces more than ever. Firstly, the state has access to the seas, which allows it to engage in international trade in large volumes. Secondly, the geopolitical situation in the world today is extremely unstable. Therefore, naval forces are the first stronghold on the path of certain ill-wishers. It should be noted that the Turkish fleet was formed in 1525. In those days, the Ottoman navy was a truly invincible unit in the conditions of combat on the water. With the help of the fleet, the empire for centuries seized and kept at bay the territories it needed.

As for the present, today the fleet has not lost its power. On the contrary, the naval forces are developing quite dynamically. The Turkish Navy includes:

• fleet directly;
• Marines;
• naval aviation;
• special units used in special cases.

Armament of the naval forces

Of course, the main striking means of the Turkish naval forces is the fleet. Without it, in our time, nowhere. Therefore, when considering weapons, it is necessary to build on such an important system part of the Navy as the fleet. It, in turn, is represented by a large number of different frigates and corvettes, which have great maneuverability and efficiency. Also quite interesting is the naval aviation of the republic. It includes equipment of both Turkish and foreign production.

Air Force

As for Turkey, they are one of the youngest units, given the glorious history of other military formations that make up the armed forces. They were created in 1911 and were actively used in the First World War. The Turkish army during the war, as we know, was defeated along with other countries of the Triple Alliance. For this and some other reasons, aviation ceases to exist. Its activities were resumed only in 1920. Today, about 60,000 personnel are serving in the Turkish Air Force. In addition, there are 34 active military airfields on the territory of the state. The activities of the Turkish Air Force include the following main functions:

• protection of the country's airspace;
• defeat of enemy manpower and equipment on the ground;
• destruction of enemy air forces.

Air force equipment

As part of a lot of aircraft that allow you to perform your tasks as efficiently as possible. Thus, in service today there are a large number of transport and combat aircraft, helicopters, as well as air defense systems. At the same time, fighters, as a rule, are multipurpose. Air defense is represented by medium and short range equipment. The Turkish Air Force also has a large number of unmanned aerial vehicles.

Turkish army vs Russian: comparison

Comparison of the Armed Forces of Turkey and Russia is increasingly being made in recent times. To figure out which army is stronger, you need to look, first of all, at the defense budget and the number of military personnel. For example, Russia spends 84 billion dollars on its troops, while in the Republic of Turkey this figure is only 22.4 billion. As for the number of personnel, we can count on 700 thousand people in war conditions. In Turkey, the number of military personnel is only 500 thousand people. Of course, there are other factors on the basis of which it is possible to assess the combat effectiveness of the armies of these two countries. Thus, who is in a better position if the Turkish army is standing against the Russian one? A comparison based on dry statistics shows that the Russian Federation has a more powerful formation than the Republic of Turkey.

Conclusion

So, the author tried to explain what the Turkish army is. It should be noted that the combat power of this formation is quite strong, as in other modern states. Let's hope that we will never have to feel the activities of the Turkish army.

The armed forces of Turkey today are the totality of all military units of the state, which are designed to defend the independence, freedom and integrity of the country, as well as its inhabitants.

History of the Turkish Armed Forces

XIV century - the structure of the military forces of Turkey is being coordinated, which remains with minor changes until the XIX century.

The armed forces of Turkey at that time included:

• capicles(professional infantry);
• seratcules(militia for the duration of hostilities);
• toprakly(feudal cavalry).

The beginning of the 19th century - regular infantry and cavalry begin to emerge - the militia gradually ceases to be used due to its poor qualifications and low morale.

• 1839- A new system was introduced, according to which the SS was divided into a standing army, irregular troops, militia and auxiliary troops of vassals. In this form, it existed until the 1920s.
• 1923- The Republic of Turkey was proclaimed and the military forces of Turkey were created (according to European standards).

general description

Today, Turkey is a member of the NATO organization, and therefore its army fully complies with the standards and requirements of this military alliance.

It is also worth noting that the Turkish ground forces are second in strength in the NATO bloc after the United States. The armament of the Turkish army is carried out according to the latest technological standards.

All men aged 21 to 41 are liable for military service in Turkey. During the hostilities, in addition to men, women from 20 to 46 years old are also called up to the Turkish army.

The supreme body of the army leadership is the commanders-in-chief of the Turkish Armed Forces. The president of the country is appointed to them, and the subordinates are:

1. ground forces (SV);
2. air force (Air Force);
3. naval forces (Navy);
4. gendarmerie;
5. Coast security.

The principle of manning the Turkish army today

Conscription applies to all men from 20 to 41 years old, according to the laws of the country. The only exception is the population with medical restrictions.

Up to 300,000 people are drafted into the Armed Forces every year.

Military service lasts 12 months.

There is also an option to avoid the service. To do this, it is worth paying an amount of 17 thousand liras to the benefit of the state.

Ground troops

As in many other countries, the SVs are the largest branch of the military in Turkey and form the core of the armed forces. The number of soldiers in the Turkish army today exceeds 400 thousand fighters. Today, the weapons of the Turkish army are being tested in the Syrian theater of operations during clashes with the Kurds.

the number of soldiers in the Turkish army today

In addition to field formations, the Turkish army includes elite commando brigades among five units. They are designed for special operations, counter-terrorism, intelligence, counterintelligence and so on.

In addition, four regiments of army aviation, six artillery regiments and numerous military equipment of Turkey are subordinate to the commander of the SV.

SV specialists are trained in the following institutions:

• Training center of tank troops, which is based in the city of Etimesgut;
• Artillery training brigade in the city of Erzincan;
• Training arable brigades: 1st, 3rd, 5th and 15th.

Officers are recruited from young men who have voluntarily completed training in military schools. After they are sent to higher and secondary schools of the armed forces, as well as to Turkish military academies, where they receive appropriate training and qualifications.

term of study in higher UVS

The term of study in the higher UVS is usually 4 years, after which graduates receive the rank of lieutenant. To obtain the highest position, you must enter the military academy and study for 2 years.

The main tactical formation of SV Turkey is a brigade. Their current numbers are:

• 11 infantry;
• 16 mechanized;
• 9 tank.

armored forces

Turkey's ground forces are armed with both their own developments and weapons and equipment from foreign countries. For example, one of the most powerful tanks in the world, which is in service with the Turkish army, is the German Leopard.

Military equipment of Turkey, photo of the German Leopard tank on the march

In addition to the tanks "Leopard 1" (400 units) and "Leopard 2" (325 units), the tank troops also have:

• American medium tanks M60 in the amount of almost 1 thousand units;
• American medium tanks M48A5 in the amount of less than 2.9 thousand units.

The armored forces also include armored fighting vehicles, including:

• American armored personnel carriers M113 - less than 3 thousand units;
• American infantry fighting vehicles AIFV - 650 units;
• Turkish armored vehicles ARSV Cobra (more than 70 units), KIRP (more than 300 units).

Artillery and rocket armament of Turkey

Turkey boasts serious artillery. Among all the numerous samples in service, it is worth noting Turkish military equipment, including:

• Turkish multiple launch rocket systems TR-300 (more than 50 units);
• American self-propelled mortars M30 (more than 1200 units);
• American self-propelled guns M108T (more than 20 units), M52T (365 units), M44T1 (about 220 units);
• Turkish self-propelled guns T-155 Firtina (about 300 units);
• American M115 howitzers (more than 160 units) and others.

Air Force

The Turkish Air Force was created back in 1911 after the First World War ceased to exist. Then they began to recover and at the moment about 60 thousand fighters serve in their ranks.

In total, combat aviation consists of 21 squadrons, including:

• 2 - reconnaissance;
• 4 - combat training;
• 7 - fighter air defense;
• 8 - fighter-bomber.

In addition, there is also an auxiliary aviation in the amount of 11 squadrons - of which:

• 1 - transport and filling station;
• 5 - transport;
• 5 - training.

The Turkish Air Force uses aircraft from foreign countries.

Including American F-16s and McDonnell Douglas F-4Es, Canadian Canadair NF. The situation is the same with transport aircraft. They are either purchased from abroad or Turkey has received a license to manufacture these foreign designs.

The Air Force should also include air defense systems - air defense missiles ("Rapier", MIM-14, MIM-23 Hawk), American and British production and unmanned vehicles, manufactured by the USA and Israel.

At the moment, the development of its own fighter is also underway. The project is called TF-X and is scheduled for completion in 2023.

Naval Forces

Historically, the Turks have always paid great attention to their fleet. Even under the Ottoman Empire, he participated in many wars, including:

• Russian-Turkish (1828-1829, 1877-1878, 1918 and others);
• Greek-Turkish (1897);
• World War I (1914-1918);
• Korean War (1950-1953);
• invasion of Cyprus (1974), etc.

Navy includes:

• Navy;
• marines;
• special forces;
• naval aviation.

The combat composition of the fleet:

• submarines (type "Atylay", "Gyur" and "Preveze");
• frigates (such as "Yavuz", "G" and "Barbaros");
• corvettes (type "MILGEM" and "B").

The main base (headquarters) of the Navy is located in the capital of the country - the city of Ankara. The main naval bases of the modern Turkish army are located in the following cities and districts:

• Foca.
• Mersin.
• Samsun.
• Erdek.
• Geldzhuk.

Turkish military strength

At the moment (according to official information on the website of the Turkish Ministry of Defense), the number of front-line troops reaches more than 410 thousand soldiers. In addition, the modern Turkish army today has an impressive reserve of 190 thousand fighters.

The Turkish government in 2014 decided to reduce the number of ground forces in favor of more modern equipment. That is why every year the total number of military personnel decreases by an average of 15 thousand people.

On November 24, the Turkish Air Force attacked a Russian Su-24M front-line bomber. This demarche of Ankara turned out to be fatal, marking the beginning of a confrontation between Russia and Turkey. The tension between the countries is growing every day, the rhetoric of politicians sounds more and more militant, and no one can guarantee that Russia and Turkey will not be drawn into an armed conflict. In this regard, Our Version analyzed the military potentials of the Russian and Turkish armies, assessing the chances of the parties to win.

Combat vehicles, aviation and navy

TURKEY. Turkey's military budget is close to $20 billion, according to the Stockholm Peace Research Institute. These funds are spent mainly on rearmament, the pace of which is rather high. The Turkish military receives military technology from the most technologically advanced countries: the main suppliers are the United States and Israel. In addition, Turkey actively cooperates in the military field with the leading NATO countries, and more recently with China, South Korea and Indonesia.

Recently, Turkey has formed a powerful air force, the fleet of which is more than 400 combat aircraft. Among them, 200 F-16 fighters are assembled in Turkey under license. According to a number of Western experts, these are modern 4+ generation vehicles that are not inferior in their combat qualities to the Russian Su-30SM. Recently, much has been said about the contract for the purchase of American fifth-generation F-35A fighters. According to data published by the WikiLeaks Internet resource, tactical nuclear weapons are stored on the territory of the Incirlik base - B-61 bombs, which are modernized for F-35A. However, officially this information has not received confirmation.

The Turkish military makes a big bet on the ground forces. The tank fleet includes about 4,000 tanks, including about 300 modern German Leopard-2A4s, over two thousand obsolete German and American tanks, in addition, 1,500 very ancient American M48A5s, produced in the 50s - they were put into storage. The Turkish army also has more than 4,500 armored vehicles for various purposes. Artillery is about a thousand self-propelled artillery mounts, almost 2 thousand towed guns and more than 10 thousand mortars. Almost all artillery is American-made, but most of it is outdated. Considerable attention is paid to rocket artillery: about 300 multiple launch rocket systems, multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS) of American, Chinese and domestic production. Turkey recently received operational-tactical missiles. We are talking about the American ATACMS and their own J-600T tactical missiles, which were copied from the Chinese B-611.

But the Turkish air defense system does not cause admiration, at present it is represented by outdated American anti-aircraft missile systems of various ranges. In the future, the country's air defense system is planned to be strengthened by deliveries from China of 12 divisional sets of long-range air defense systems HQ-9, which were created using the technological base of Russian S-300 air defense systems. The Turkish missile defense system being created with the help of China will be integrated into the NATO missile defense system.

By 2023, the Turks intend to completely abandon the import of military products. They are especially proud of their own armored vehicles, in particular the promising Altay tank. We also recall that after Russia transferred the S-400 air defense system to Syria, Turkey installed a new Koral electronic warfare system on the border, which, according to Ankara, is capable of completely blinding Russian systems.

RUSSIA. In terms of the number of military equipment, the Russian Armed Forces are the first in the world, significantly surpassing the Turkish army. However, only 30% of the equipment in the troops is new. Until 2020, it is planned to upgrade 70% of the existing equipment. The troops of the Strategic Missile Forces have already updated 85% of the combat fleet.

Now the Russian army has about 4 thousand towed artillery and self-propelled guns, 3.5 thousand MLRS, almost 3 thousand tanks (about 20 thousand more in storage) and more than 10 thousand armored vehicles. The Russian Air Force has 80 strategic bombers (Tu-160 and Tu-95MS), 150 Tu-22M3 long-range bombers, 241 Su-25 attack aircraft, 164 Su-24M front-line bombers, 26 Su-34 front-line bombers. The fighter aviation includes 953 vehicles (MiG-29, MiG-31, Su-27, Su-30 and Su-35S).

At the same time, Russia has an unconditional advantage in air defense systems, which are able to make the sky completely inaccessible to the actions of aviation of any potential enemy. The modern Russian S-400 air defense systems mentioned earlier have no analogues in the world at all, however, they are still not enough at the disposal of the Russian military.

Comparing the fleets of Russia and Turkey, we can definitely say that the Russian Navy has a multiple overall advantage in surface and submarine ships, but the Black Sea Fleet is weaker than the Turkish one. Therefore, nuclear weapons remain a trump card in the sleeve for Russia, in terms of the number of units of which the Russian Federation is the world leader.

Combat readiness and morale

TURKEY. Almost all Turkish military have combat experience, which they received while fighting with Kurdish partisan detachments. At the same time, the command and control system of the Turkish army is integrated into the system of the combined armed forces of NATO in Europe, it is part of the structure of the Southern Command.

RUSSIA. The Russian military gained experience in combat operations during the Russian-Georgian conflict, almost all officers in senior positions have experience of participating in an armed conflict in the Chechen Republic. In the past few years, the Russian military has been engaged in combat training almost continuously.

Mobilization resources

TURKEY. The Turkish army is the second largest in NATO - only the United States has a larger one. The combat strength of the Turkish army has more than half a million military personnel, another 400 thousand are in the nearest reserve. In Turkey, people are called up for military service from the age of 20, the term of service can last up to 15 months (conscripts with higher education serve half as much). However, according to experts, the majority of recruits are from villages with almost no education. As a result, with exemplary discipline in the units, Turkish soldiers are practically unable to effectively use modern military equipment that requires knowledge. But do not flatter yourself: the core of the Turkish army is made up of a high-quality officer corps and trained contract soldiers. Most of the professionals serve in aviation, special forces, and marines. Also, for mobilization in wartime, a reserve trained in military affairs of up to 900 thousand people can be used.

RUSSIA. The official size of the Russian army in 2015 is officially about a million people, but until recently in many units there was a shortage of up to 30% of personnel. At the beginning of this year, it was announced that for the first time the number of contract soldiers exceeded the number of conscripts: at present, 300,000 contract soldiers and 276,000 conscripts serve in the Russian army. The mobilization system of the country is currently unbalanced, however, the active reserve remains very significant and amounts to about 2.5 million people.

Anatoly Tsyganok, Head of the Center for Military Forecasting at the Institute for Political and Military Analysis:

- There is tension between Russia and Turkey, but it is unlikely to unequivocally lead to hostilities, no matter what is said there. It is clear that the Turkish army will cause problems for anyone - even if it is not as high-tech as the army of the Russian Federation or the armies of Western countries, but it is well trained and numerous. The Turkish military has combat experience, and they are especially good at fighting in the mountains: 30 years ago, the Turkish military carried out a large-scale operation to seize territory in Cyprus and carried it out quite successfully.