Arrests, Resignations Plague Turkish Armed Forces

Turkey’s vocal opposition media and political parties allege that Turkey's Navy and Air Force have been weakened because of recent resignations by top commanders and a spate of arrests of ranking military officials. The Turkish government and the general staff have vehemently denied that the armed forces have been damaged, and they insist that Turkish security is not in jeopardy. Turkey boasts of having the second-largest military in the NATO alliance, after the United States.

The latest twist was the resignation of Navy Fleet Commander Adm. Nusret Guner on late January. The commander was reportedly uneasy that many of his fellow officers had been jailed, following a series of allegations over the past few years that range from a military coup plot to membership in terrorist groups aimed at destroying Turkey. Guner was up for promotion to become the new commander of the Navy this August.

With Guner's departure, the Navy has no admirals other than Navy Commander Adm. Ugur Yigit, who comes up for retirement in August. Government and military sources say a vice admiral will be promoted to the rank of admiral, and then named commander of the Navy.

The Navy's problems aren't limited to jailed officers. Navy War Fleet Commander Rear Adm. Ahmet Iskender Yildirim, who has been implicated in the “spying and blackmail” trial of military personnel in the Aegean port city of Izmir, can't leave the country to head his fleet because of court orders. In a court ruling last September, the read admiral was ordered not to leave the country. As a result, he's missed several important military exercises held with fellow NATO navies in international waters.