Author: Selahattin Yüzbaşı
It has been almost two months since I wrote this article, but this week I decided to publish it. The reason will be understood towards the end of the article. My interest started with an opinion piece about the operation Euphrates Shield by SETA, a so-called think thank considered the mouthpiece of Turkey’s omnipotent President Tayyip Erdogan’s ruling party AKP released. The report itself deserved some serious scrutiny but I was rather curious about what SETA’s photo of choice to promote its which shows the new face of the “New”[1] Turkish Army.
The picture shows a soldier on the turret gun of what seems to be a variant of an M60 main battle tank. This tired looking soldier’s outfit is anything but combatant: He has no helmet, he doesn’t wear a uniform rather he chose to pose with his A-shirt. He wears a slightly unfitting goggle (which doesn’t seem like standard issue) in addition to a comms kit which doesn’t look assuring at all, with cables sticking out at every direction. Recently, mechanized units in the Turkish Army have recently been issued with new helmets with comms kits but for some reason, they do not seem to have found their way to this soldier.
For non military people, this particular picture may not mean a lot, other than the fact that this individual doesn’t look like a professional soldier but rather a member of the Syrian opposition, a militia member. However, for a trained eye, this picture is merely one of many, which shows a very frustrating trend in the Turkish Army, especially since the coup attempt in 15 July 2016: Complacency about physical appearance and indiscipline.
Here is this disturbing phenomenon in a nutshell: There is an abundance of recent photos showing Turkish soldiers either with non-government issue equipment, clothing or even more disturbingly, in ragged uniforms, which is noted by other observers of the Turkish Army as well. Nowadays, not to pay attention to uniform and a proper appearance seems to be in vogue in the “new” Turkish Army. Looks like, Turkish Army started to look like the militia groups it claims to give training to: a potpourri of outfits rather than a -as the term clearly suggests- a uniform appearance, trademark of a professional and competent fighting force. From a professional point of view, I can think of two main reasons for this complication:
Why do soldiers buy their own equipment?
1. Unsatisfactory equipment: If not issued by government, a trooper would certainly feel the need to buy the best piece of equipment out of his own pocket. It simply is a survival issue for the soldier. This, unfortunately, has been the case for a very long time in the Turkish Army. For example, it is almost impossible to see a soldier (even generals, including Gen.Akar, Joint Chief of Staff) wearing a standard Army issue boot, instead everybody buys his own.
Same goes for undershirts, coats, socks, warm clothing, gloves, etc. The list goes on and on. More worryingly, it is not just boots or clothing: Soldiers buy tactical gear, i.e., vests, backpacks, optics, comms equipment (especially personal cell phones in addition to walkie talkies), holsters even helmets/helmet covers.
2. The second reason, and from a professional perspective the more important one, is lack of personal discipline and oversight. Apparently, soldiers, even high ranking officers feels the liberty to don whatever they feel like.
Furthermore, leaders at all levels seem to be complacent about what their subordinates wear. This is a phenomenon we started to see more frequently after the failed coup attempt in July 15. Apparently, the unprecedented purge after the coup attempt, manifested itself not only in the massive drops in the number of officers but also the discipline of the force which is ensured by the officer corps.
Complacency at its Worst
Not paying attention to personal appearance is not only indiscipline but also an indication of serious problems with the professional ethics of the force. As in any respectable military, the Turkish Military Code of Conduct obliges its members to wear the prescribed uniform. Not only that, but traditionally, a good personal appearance has always been of utmost importance (I even thought it was rather exaggerated and used to hide other problems) and indication of the effectiveness of the force in the Turkish Military. Apparently, this is not the case anymore. Just looking at the pictures from a highly advertised operation, Kale Tepe, in September 2016 east of Çukurca/Hakkari, one can easily see an assortment of clothing and equipment.
Indiscipline and complacency is everywhere and at every level
Take the new Ministry of Defense, a former High School Math teacher, Fikri Işık’s visit to Syrian border last summer for example. The picture from Ministry’s official web page speaks volumes.
There are three Generals in the picture, albeit all with different outfits. The Commander of the Turkish Army General Salih Zeki Çolak wears what seems to be the new Battle Dress Uniform (BDU), with long sleeves, whereas Erdogan’s favorite General Metin Temel (for the first time in history he was assigned to a 4 star job while he was only a 3 star General!) is wearing a short sleeved version this uniform. The third uniform, complemented by a cumbersome vest belongs to the newly promoted Brigadier, commanding the 5th Armored Brigade in Gaziantep.
Pictures from this visit in several other military posts are also filled with a variety of uniforms, vests, helmets, almost always poorly fitted and nobody wears the same uniform as the high ranking generals.
About a month later, Mr.Işık visited the Syrian border again. Pictures from this visit reflects a slightly better situation as (at least!) both Generals wear the same uniform.
However, all other soldiers wear a different uniform. And there are, among other inconsistencies, yet again different helmets in one picture.)
This sort of complacency in appearance, especially in case of a visit from a high ranking officer or Cabinet Minister was unimaginable before. It was customary to ensure that all personnel in the unit being visited wear the same uniform as the visiting officer. It would at least be considered improper, if not outright indiscipline to do otherwise and hence never heard of. Apparently, things have changed. However subtle the messages of these pictures may be, they are quite clear:
What do these pictures tell us about the “New” Turkish Army?
1. Failed Supply System:
Turkish Army, despite new Defense Minister’s frequent claims about the fast developing defense industry, cannot even properly dress, let alone equip its own soldiers.
The worst and most heartbreaking example of this was all over the media last week. A soldier standing at honor guard for his fallen comrade in Al Bab was displayed with the equipment he had to buy out of his own pocket!
More disturbingly, as if an army from previous century, the Generals get the best uniform while the others have to make do with the scraps. It is easier to call this army a militia force, rather than a NATO member.
2. A Militia Mindset:
As pictures of not only soldiers but also high-ranking Generals in a variety of uniforms show, there is a militia mindset is setting in at their level as well. Wear whatever you feel like!
3. Compromised Chain of Command:
Moreover, the Chain of Command in the Turkish Army, after the coup attempt is not straightforward as it used to be. As Generals like Temel get unprecedented media coverage from the univocal Turkish media and support from government (President Erdogan visited him while he was a two star general, on a passive post, slated to be retired, which was quite unprecedented) of the new Turkey, they seem to be less sensitive about their chain of command and more wary of the political relationships.
Catastrophy of the Turkish Army: Politicisation!
While this (Generals worrying about politicians rather than their superiors) is a very concerning issue for any military, its consequences would be catastrophic for Turkish Armed Forces with its very long history of solid Chain of Command and an apolitical stance. If indiscipline, coupled with a militia mindset which favors political manouvers and nepotism over merit continues to gain ground, it would be inescapable for the Army and the whole Turkish Armed forces to turn into a mere tool for political operations, unlike what it used to be, a proud member of NATO with high standards.
Footnotes:
[1] As elusive as it sounds, the adjective “new” seems to be accompanying anything that AKP changes in Turkey. Despite the positive connotation, for many, it symbolizes the deterioration of anything belonging to the “old” Turkey.
Dulce Bellum Inexpertis 
Bu tür incelemeleri her yerde bulmak mümkün olamıyor, gazetecilerin satır aralarını okumak dediği türden. Avamın nazarına göre küçücük bir konudan nakış işler gibi stratejik bir mesaja gitmek, ya da çok basit bir semptomdan ciddi bir hastalık teşhisi yapmak. Konuya ve sahaya hakim olmak, hatta çok tecrübeli olmak lazım. Belli ki öylesiniz. Üniforma bu orduda hep sorun oldu, bununla ilgili bir yazı beklerken TSKnın sıkıntılı bir röntgenini çekmişsiniz. Gerçekten ABD askerlerinin hemen hemen dünyanın her yerinden ve her şartta sayısız fotoğrafı yayınlanır, belki tektip değiller ama hiç pespaye görüntü vermezler. Bunun nedeni sizin de belirttiğiniz gibi sadece lojistik kabiliyet değil tabi ki, askeri bir ruh lazım, yani disiplini tesis etmek gerek. TSK’nın şu anda bunalım geçiren gençler gibi başıboş ve dağınık bir görüntüsü var, erinden generaline hemen hemen fotoğraflardaki herkes yılgın, yorgun ve huzursuz görünüyor. Belli ki işler iyi değil. Şanlı ordu 15 temmuz tokadını fena yemiş, apır bir kayıp vermiş, ancak sanki daha beterini de bekliyor gibi.
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What a nice piece of analysis over such a small piece of information! It takes both experience and expertise to come up with such an important argument. I hope the Turkish CHOD finds time to read it given his busy schedule of visiting political islamist poets with his favourite mate or visits to Aegean islets with his loyal service chiefs.
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Geçmişte TSK bünyesinde kurumu sırtına almış, akıllı ve gayretli komutanlar sistemler, süreçler ve fikirlerle uğraşırken bu haberin resimlerindeki kifayetsiz komutanların şekil disiplini ile uğraşarak kendi eksikliklerini gizlemeye çalıştıklarını herkes bilir. Ancak bugün durum o kadar vahim ki, gerçek komutanlar tasfiye edildikten sonra geriye kalanlar en iyi yaptıkları iş olan şekilciliği bile yüzlerine gözlerine bulaştırmaktadırlar. Dahildeki ahvalin harice aksetmesi kaçınılmazdır.
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A blog written by Gulenist ex officer. Now, by removing these parasites, Armed Forces are getting better. All the problems that they created are being solved by new chain of command. The critics that made by him are mostly exaggerated. First, top generals are wearing new uniforms which are on evaluation phase. Second, Commanding general in Çukurca wearing government issue vest and boots. Third, tank crew pictures belongs to unit whose commandant was a inaduqate Gulenist General removed after 15 July putsch
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Thank you for your comments, however unsubstantiated and fallacious and low quality they are.
First of all, our target audience is of certain intellectual capacity. In none of our pieces do we allow unsubstantiated ad hominem attacks (FETO, parasite etc.) Such claims only reflect the quality of the claimant, nothing more. What we expect from our readers is, to be critical, but with substance. Fallacy like ad hominem, as we mentioned in our writing principles (yazim ilkeleri) is unacceptable. Therefore, we clearly reject your claims about the owner of this blog’s being FETO and all that… That is so low a bar even to respond but since yours is a first, we decided to address the issue.
We contacted the author and here are his responses:
1. First of all, I don’t even attempt to belittle myself by responding the Gulenist and parasite issue. So low, childish and desperate.
2. I expect you to be more clear about what you mean by the mind numbing vagueness throughout your post. For example what do you mean by “all the problems” or “mostly exaggerated” By “mostly exaggerated” you probably meant “only three” since you addressed solely those? This is not a conspiracy theory piece in one of the government mouthpieces. Present facts and data.
3. As to top generals wearing only because they are in evaluation phase, only strengthens my claim. You accept the fact, thank you. However, I would really like to hear your response to the question as to “Why are tactical clothing being evaluated by Generals? Should it not be the ones who use it? And why, has it been over a year since they started testing it?” Moreover, they are being distributed to some commando units, SOF etc. that means the evaluation phase is over. And really, the million dollar question, why the hell are everybody wearing a different BDU? What sort of a commander allows that?
4. I updated the pictures from Cukurca. Look at the General’s equipment: I would really like to have one of those government issue Magnum boots he has. And the vests are more clear now. Even in one picture there are 4 guys and three different vests. Which one is GI. The general’s for sure is not. It looks like an anafartlar to me. However, if you still defend your claim, I would very much like to see your proof. Send it and I will accept my mistake, and apologize.
5. The claim about commandant [sic] (should be commander) of the tank unit boss being fired after 15 July. First, since all the purges are public, would you be kind enough to enlighten me about the identity of this traitor ? So that I know you are not just BS’ing. Secondly, the dates in your claims do not add up, don’t you think? I thought the Euphrates Shield started the end of August and the commanders of units are still in place. You may want to check your calendar again, last time I checked August came after July.
Finally, out of tons of evidence presented in the piece, you only could came up with three fallacious claims? Thanks for strengthening my article.
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Have you seen pictures of US Delta Force and US Navy Seal units? They all wear their own equipment, because THEY CARE!
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What a nice point to emphasize! It is impossible to be successful for an Army which cannot concentrate its effort in the same way. Collaborative effort is the key for an organization to accomplish its missions. However looking at the example in this article, it is not very difficult to say that if Turkish Armed Forces cannot even succeed to provide one outlook for its personnel which is the first basic rule of military, this is a very good sign of corruption. Especially if the higher rank officers have the best quality stuff in their office while their subordinates trying to fight in the field with poor one.
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There are two main aspects of this problem. First of all, modern Turkish Army does not know what it would like to be. Our uniform is a bad copy of US Armed Forces uniform, basic equipment is the combination of German and US patented gadgets. There is no historical clue can be found on the uniform itself. Although it is accepted that the foundation date of Turkish Armed Forces goes back to B.C. 206, there is no historical touch on the uniforms. Why? Because there is no concept, there is no approach like that. The shaping the uniforms are mostly taken by particular generals who do not have any perspective about how it should be. This is valid for combat uniforms and mess dresses. Generals occupy these seats only two years, and whoever take the leading position always trying to do something different to show themselves. Although Turkish General Staff has the Military History Institute, you cannot find a research on the military uniform in Turkish Armed Forces History. The second one is logistic problems. Because of the public procurement law, procurement boards always select the cheapest tenders which cause mostly having lower quality than it is aimed. I even do not mention corruption issues. I ate no-name canned foods which were coming from unknown sources. Even though you have a very good prototype on your hand which is asked to the tenderers to procure, always it ended with disaster. In times, quality gets worse, materials differ than the tender document together with some corruption stories. Having no projection, nobody takes on the responsibility.
There is one another factor can be counted as a global problem. Flag officers always lose their ties with ground level forces. The realities which are alive on the ground are different than the one in flag officers’ perception. Sometimes although they do know the realities, because of the reluctance of saying that the king is naked they just ignore it, and try to find somebody else to charge with the responsibility. As long as we keep the same mindset, we will continue spinning.
Beyond all the stupid debates, we need more brave and dedicated personnel working not for next step of their career, but for doing their best for the current positions. Any hope to have this soon? An Armed Forces which is deeply affiliated with politics can manage to count heads only, not the hearts.
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Ordumuzun sadece elbisesi değil ruhu da dökülüyor. Ruhunu siyasete satmış bir general tayfası var başlarında. Hakkımı helal etmeyeceğim.
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Really good job. Congratulations.
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