Supreme Military Council headed by Erdoğan convenes as new promotions announced
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and other high-ranking officials attend a Supreme Military Council meeting in the Presidential Complex, Ankara, Turkey, July 23, 2020. (AA Photo)


The Supreme Military Council (YAŞ) was convened under the chairmanship of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Thursday.

The president approved a number of decisions made by the YAŞ, which saw seven generals and an admiral promoted to higher ranks and 51 colonels promoted to generals and admirals. Additionally, according to the decisions, 30 generals and admirals retired while the number of the 226 generals and admirals will rise to 247 as of Aug. 30.

With the decisions, Lt. Gen. Metin Gürak, Second Chief of General Staff, was promoted to the position of four-star general while Naval Commander Vice-Admiral Ercüment Tatlıoğlu was promoted to the position of full admiral. Maj. Gen. Veli Tarakçı was promoted to lieutenant general, while Rear Admiral Upper Half Aydın Şirin was promoted to the position of vice-admiral.

The 45-minute-long meeting at the Presidential Complex in the capital Ankara was attended by high-ranking officials, both civilians and military members.

The YAŞ is a biannual gathering to discuss the appointments and retirements of high-ranking staff officers and generals as well as the removal of military personnel.

The meeting's attendees included Vice President Fuat Oktay, National Defense Minister Hulusi Akar, Justice Minister Abdülhamit Gül, Foreign Mİnister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu, Treasury and Finance Minister Berat Albayrak, National Education Minister Ziya Selçuk, Chief of General Staff Gen. Yaşar Güler, Commander of the Turkish Land Forces Gen. Ümit Dündar, Commander of the Navy Adm. Adnan Özbal and Commander of the Turkish Air Force Gen. Hasan Küçükakyüz.