Redeployment of the 51st Commando Brigade of the Turkish army, originally based in the eastern province of Tunceli, to Söke, just opposite the Greek island of Samos, is under the spotlight in neighboring Greece amid Aegean tensions. Greek experts quoted by Turkish media say the deployment may give Türkiye the upper hand in military supremacy in the region.
The brigade, consisting of more than 2,000 troops, moved to Söke in Aydın province and got a new commander in August as part of routine annual reassignment of commanders of the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK). The redeployment comes amid a dispute between the two countries over demilitarization of Greece’s Aegean islands and a feud over maritime borders. More recently, Ankara criticized a defense deal between Greece and Israel.
Türkiye’s Aegean coast is already home to several elite units, including the First Amphibious Naval Infantry Brigade in Izmir’s Foça and special forces units in central Izmir.
The brigade is led by Brig. Gen. Yaşar Karaoğlu, who made a name for himself as commander of a military unit protecting Anıtkabir, the mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, who led the Turkish war to expel Greek invaders more than a century ago.
