He flew a helicopter over the Fenerbahçe match: Command echelon and the Mete Kuş file are on the agenda at the Supreme Military Council (YAŞ)

The Supreme Military Council (YAŞ), where decisions regarding promotions, appointments, term extensions, and retirements in the Turkish Armed Forces will be evaluated, will meet today under the chairmanship of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

Decisions regarding the command echelon will be closely monitored at the meeting. The terms of Chief of General Staff General Selçuk Bayraktaroğlu and Land Forces Commander General Metin Tokel, who took office last year, are ongoing. For Air Forces Commander General Ziya Cemal Kadıoğlu and Naval Forces Commander Admiral Ercüment Tatlıoğlu, whose terms are ending, it is considered more likely that their terms will be extended rather than them being retired.

DECISION ON METE KUŞ EXPECTED

According to the report in Cumhuriyet, one of the topics of interest at the meeting will be the situation of Major General Mete Kuş. Kuş was reassigned to the headquarters due to disciplinary issues following the flying of a helicopter and F-16s over the stadium during the Konyaspor-Fenerbahçe match played in April. Within the scope of the YAŞ decisions, the retirement of Kuş is among the possibilities.

Retired Rear Admiral Yankı Bağcıoğlu stated that the fundamental criterion in YAŞ decisions should be the professional competence of military personnel. Bağcıoğlu emphasized that adherence to the Constitution, current legislation, and the institutional values of the TSK, as well as merit, should be the basis of the personnel system.

"Promotion, appointment, term extension, and retirement processes should be kept outside of political considerations. Field service, unit command experience, operational success, leadership, and professional performance should be the fundamental criteria in promotions and assignments."

Bağcıoğlu stated that forced retirements without explained justifications and term extensions not based on objective criteria could damage institutional trust. Reminding that administrative actions were taken in the past against some personnel who were promoted and later found to have links or connections to FETÖ, Bağcıoğlu noted that personnel evaluation and security investigation processes should be carried out with the highest sensitivity.

Criticizing the weight of ministers in the YAŞ structure, Bağcıoğlu also said that the military health and military education systems, as well as the personal rights of retired military personnel, should be brought to the agenda at the meeting.