Most extensive personnel change in the Special Forces Command

Within the scope of the 2024 appointments of the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK), a notable personnel change has been carried out within the Special Forces Command (ÖKK). With this year's appointments, a wide-ranging change has been made to key positions within the ÖKK. The new appointments are considered the most extensive personnel change since 2020.

Significant changes in the TSK staff were made with the decisions taken at the Supreme Military Council (YAŞ) meeting, chaired by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. In addition to the General Staff and Land Forces Command headquarters, new appointments were also made at the ÖKK.

According to the appointment list published in the Official Gazette, while commander changes were carried out at the ÖKK, the deputy to the current Special Forces Commander Major General Ömer Ertuğrul Erbakan and the command's chief of staff were changed. In the appointments, ÖKK Deputy Commander Major General Mustafa Köksal was appointed as deputy commander to the 7th Corps Command in Diyarbakır, while ÖKK Chief of Staff Brigadier General Osman Ziya Elgün was assigned as commander to the 23rd Commando Brigade in Maltepe, Istanbul.

Among the new appointments, General Staff Counter-Terrorism Center of Excellence Commander Brigadier General Bülent Akdeniz was appointed as ÖKK Chief of Staff, while 1st Special Forces Brigade Commander Major General Erman Kiraz was brought in as Chief of Staff to the 2nd Army Command in Malatya. ÖKK 2nd Special Forces Brigade Commander Brigadier General Mehmet Doğan became the commander of the 47th Commando Brigade in Başakşehir, Istanbul.

Furthermore, 5th Special Forces Group Commander Brigadier General Erkan Günal was appointed as 1st Special Forces Brigade Commander, while 4th Special Forces Brigade Chief of Staff Brigadier General Oğuzhan Şimşek was assigned as 5th Special Forces Group Commander. Special Forces School Command Training and Education Group Chief Brigadier General Nejat Şimşek was appointed as 2nd Special Forces Brigade Commander.

In the 2024 appointments, a total of 10 high-level commander changes took place within the ÖKK. In previous years, there were 5 high-level commander changes in the ÖKK in 2020, 3 in 2021, 4 in 2022, and only 2 in 2023.

IMPORTANT PROMOTION IN THE NAVAL FORCES

This year, an important promotion also took place in the Naval Forces. Naval Staff Colonel Halil İlker Avcı, a 2001 graduate of the Naval Academy, was promoted to the rank of admiral and was appointed as Group Commander to the Northern Group Command in Gölcük following his duty in Brussels.