Man’s best friend is also a soldier’s most reliable companion in reconnaissance. A military school raising animals for military employment in northwestern Turkey provides training for reconnaissance dogs who help soldiers by sniffing out terrorists and hidden explosives.

Reconnaissance dogs are known for their agility and bravery and start their training when they are 3-month-old. On challenging tracks, they work with veteran trainers of the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) for 18 months at the training school in the Bursa province. They learn how to overcome obstacles and are trained in detecting hostile elements in counterterrorism operations in Turkey and abroad. Dogs prove useful in finding terrorists hiding in caves or underground tunnels dug out by the terrorist groups, particularly by the PKK in southeastern Turkey and northern Iraq, where the terrorist group has hideouts.