The Supreme Military Council (YAŞ) will convene on Thursday under the chair of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan after a one-year hiatus. Promotions, extensions of terms of office or retirement, as well as the promotion and assignment of military generals will be discussed during the critical meeting.
Decisions are expected to be made on the current situation and preserving the existing balance at a time when operations continue in the fight against terrorism at home and across borders and stability in the Black Sea is more important than ever. In this context Chief of General Staff Gen. Yaşar Güler, Air Force Cmdr. Gen. Hasan Küçükakyüz and Naval Forces Cmdr. Adm. Adnan Özbal are expected to continue in their positions. Immediately after the end of the 2022 YAŞ meeting, the council will set to work on the August 2023 agenda.
In appointments and relocations, the field experience gained by commanders deployed in the region, the operations in Iraq and Syria, and the developments in Libya will be taken into account. Due to regional developments, naval field commanders covering the Eastern Mediterranean and the Black Sea will come to the fore. All activities carried out by military personnel for a year will be on the agenda. Questionnaires in which military personnel evaluate their colleagues will be examined in detail in order to create the most suitable teams to deploy for critical tasks such as ensuring Turkey's security and defending the country. Decisions made at the YAŞ meeting will be implemented after President Erdoğan's approval.
According to the Military Penal Code, which came into force last month, the president can extend the term of the chief of general staff for a period of one year if the person in the position reaches the age limit. This extension can only be applied up to the age of 72. The chief of general staff, Gen. Güler, 67, whose term in office has expired, is expected to stay on in the role for another year. If his term in office is extended, Güler will become the first chief of staff over the age of 67, after Marshal Fevzi Çakmak, the first chief of general staff of the Republic of Turkey. Güler will be the first person to serve in the role for more than four years since 1990. The situations of Adm. Özbal and Gen. Küçükakyüz will also be discussed at the council.