Large-scale Appointments in the Turkish Armed Forces: 205 Generals and Admirals Changed Their Places of Duty

AYDIN ​​HASAN / ANKARA - By the decision of the President; 123 generals from the Land Forces Command, 38 admirals from the Naval Forces Command, and 44 generals from the Air Forces Command were appointed. The number of generals and admirals will be 334 as of August 30, 2026. The balance, which was disrupted when the number of general-admirals in the Turkish Armed Forces dropped to 206 in 2016 due to expulsions after the July 15 FETO coup attempt, was re-established over time with promotions. In 2015, there were 358 general-admirals within the Turkish Armed Forces, including the gendarmerie. Taking into account the number of general-admirals in the gendarmerie and coast guard, the numerical weakness in the command level has been eliminated.

New commander in the Aegean

According to the new appointments; 2nd Army Commander Lieutenant General Zorlu Topaloğlu to the Aegean Army Command, Land Forces Training and Doctrine Commander Lieutenant General Gültekin Yaralı to the 2nd Army Command, Turkish Cypriot Peace Forces Commander Sebahattin Kılınç to the command of the General Staff, 9th Army Commander Lieutenant General Tuncay Altuğ to the Land Forces Training and Doctrine Command, MSÜ Vice Rector Lieutenant General Burhan Aktaş to the 3rd Army Lieutenant General Ertan İnaltekin, Commander of the 7th Corps, was appointed as the Commander of the Turkish Cypriot Peace Forces. Brigadier General Vedat Er became the Head of the Military Relations and Strategy Department of the Land Forces Command.

Assignment to amphibious corps

Naval Forces Command Chief of Staff Vice Admiral Mustafa Kaya as Deputy Commander of the Navy, Southern Sea Area Commander Vice Admiral Rafet Oktar as Amphibious Corps Command, Naval Academy Commander Ramazan Özdoğul as Northern Sea Area Command, MSÜ Vice Rector Vice Admiral Erhan Aydın as Naval Forces Command Chief of Staff, War Fleet Commander Rear Admiral Mehmet Baybars Küçükatay as Southern Sea Area Command as Chief of Operations. Rear Admiral Mehmet Emre Sezenler was appointed as MSÜ Vice Rector, and Chief of Naval Staff Rear Admiral Kenan Kaan Türkkan was appointed as War Fleet Commander.

New commander for İmralı

A new gendarmerie commander will be appointed to the island of İmralı, which came to the fore on the agenda due to the visits of the DEM Party delegation to the imprisoned Abdullah Öcalan during the Terror-Free Türkiye process. İmralı Gendarmerie Commando Island Security Commander Gendarmerie Senior Colonel Veysel Ergün was appointed as Eskişehir Provincial Gendarmerie Commander.

Gezeravcı became base commander

General Erdoğan Gür to the Combat Air Force Command, Lieutenant General Yaşar Kadıoğlu to the Chief of Staff, Lieutenant General Ergin Dinç to the Air Training Command, Major General Serkan Gökhan Can to the Intelligence Directorate, Major General Cihangir Kemal Yüzçelik to the Air Force Academy Command, Brigadier General Esat Çetin to the 3rd Main Jet Base Command, Brigadier General Erol Gökmen to the 1st Main Jet Base. Brigadier General Alper Gezeravcı, who carried out Turkey's first manned space mission, was appointed as the 5th Main Jet Base Command.