SCA decisions published in the Official Gazette

The decisions of the Supreme Military Council (SCA) have been published in the Official Gazette. With the decision signed by President Erdoğan, General Metin Gürak has been retired due to lack of cadre, and Land Forces Commander General Selçuk Bayraktaroğlu has become the new Chief of General Staff. 1st Army Commander General Metin Tokel has been appointed as the Land Forces Commander. The terms of office for Naval Forces Commander Admiral Ercüment Tatlıoğlu and Air Force Commander General Ziya Cemal Kadıoğlu have been extended by one year. The new Chief of General Staff, 64-year-old Bayraktaroğlu, was one of the individuals who, as Land Forces Commander, approved the Disciplinary Board's decision to dismiss five lieutenants from the TAF for chanting the slogan "We are the soldiers of Mustafa Kemal" following the official graduation ceremony of the Military Academy. During his tenure as Land Forces Commander, Bayraktaroğlu, along with Minister of National Defense Yaşar Güler, Metin Gürak, and Ercüment Tatlıoğlu, had also filed a non-pecuniary damages lawsuit against CHP Chairman Özgür Özel due to his criticisms regarding the dismissal of the lieutenants. 

Decisions signed by Erdoğan were published in the Official Gazette tonight.

With the decision, 32 generals and admirals were promoted to the next rank, and 61 colonels were promoted to the rank of general and admiral, effective from August 30. The terms of office for 29 generals were extended by one year, and the terms for 478 colonels were extended by two years. Two generals were retired due to age limits effective September 1, 2025, and 43 generals and admirals were retired due to lack of cadre effective August 30, 2025.

With the decision, Chief of General Staff General Metin Gürak was retired due to lack of cadre. Land Forces Commander General Selçuk Bayraktaroğlu was appointed as the Chief of General Staff.

1st Army Commander General Metin Tokel was brought to the Land Forces Command. The terms of office for Naval Forces Commander Admiral Ercüment Tatlıoğlu and Air Force Commander General Ziya Cemal Kadıoğlu were extended for one year.

In line with the decisions, the number of generals and admirals, which is currently 316, will rise to 332 as of August 30, 2025.

EFFECTIVE FROM AUGUST 30

From the Land Forces Command, Lieutenant Generals Bahtiyar Ersay were promoted to General; from the Air Force Command, Lieutenant General Rafet Dalkıran to General; from the Land Forces Command, Major Generals İlkay Altındağ, Sebahattin Kılınç, Rasim Yaldız, Fedai Ünsal, Muammer Alper, Tuncay Altuğ, and Ahmet Kurumahmut to Lieutenant General; from the Naval Forces Command, Rear Admiral Rafet Oktar to Vice Admiral; and from the Air Force Command, Major General Ergin Dinç to Lieutenant General.

From the Land Forces Command, Brigadier Generals Aydın Kılıç, Süleyman Akbay, Tolga Genç, Gökhan Çelik, Levent Sabahattin Güldağı, Cem Kamil Sağcan, Nurettin Hakan Büyükçulha, Soner Oruçoğlu, İlker Ertuğrul, Sebahattin Kalkan, Ümit Durmaz, Eray Üngüder, Osman Akyıldız, Ercan Eroğlu, and Ahmet Hamdi Ataç were promoted to Major General; from the Naval Forces Command, Rear Admirals (Lower Half) Mehmet Savaş Eser, Aziz Bakıoğlu, and Timur Yılmaz to Rear Admiral; and from the Air Force Command, Brigadier Generals Ertan Uzun, Vedat Öncel, and Serkan Gökhan Can to Major General.

The aforementioned promotions will be effective from August 30.

In line with the decisions taken with the approval of President Erdoğan, effective from August 30, in the Land Forces Command, the rank of Lieutenant General Bahtiyar Ersay was raised to General; Major Generals İlkay Altındağ, Sebahattin Kılınç, Rasim Yaldız, Fedai Ünsal, Muammer Alper, Tuncay Altuğ, Ahmet Kurumahmut to Lieutenant General; Brigadier Generals Aydın Kılıç, Süleyman Akbay, Tolga Genç, Gökhan Çelik, Levent Sabahattin Güldağı, Cem Kamil Sağcan, Nurettin Hakan Büyükçulha, Soner Oruçoğlu, İlker Ertuğrul, Sebahattin Kalkan, Ümit Durmaz, Eray Üngüder, Osman Akyıldız, Ercan Eroğlu, and Ahmet Hamdi Ataç to Major General.

39 COLONELS PROMOTED TO BRIGADIER GENERAL

Accordingly, Colonels Erkan Bulut, Hulusi Koçbay, Hasan Kaya, Süleyman Şentürk, Mahmut Sert, Ersin Özbalcı, Hasan Çelikcan, Suat Yıldızhan, Şemsettin Erdoğan, Hasan Temel, Murat Özkılıç, Merdin Kışkan, Burak Yılmaz, Muhammed Tuna, Çetin Öztürk, Yaşar Karaoğlu, Abdullah Karakoç, Cumhur Yazgan, Ahmet Yalçın İskender, Fahrettin Kerim Kılcı, Ayhan Tüten, İlker Temizbaş, Emrullah Öztürk, Harun Aydoğdu, Mehmet Arıkök, Mahmut Seçkin Alışverişci, Uğur Bor, Hasan Ertam Kan, Levent Kaya, Tarık Demirci, Rizvan Çiper, Zafer Akkaş, Nezih Baştürk, Şenol Varol, Cihan Ercan, Tolga Boyraz, Volkan Aydın, Mustafa Bülent Baykal, and Yavuz Selim Şengün were promoted to Brigadier General.

In the Naval Forces Command, Rear Admiral Rafet Oktar was promoted to Vice Admiral, and Rear Admirals (Lower Half) Mehmet Savaş Eser, Aziz Bakıoğlu, and Timur Yılmaz were promoted to Rear Admiral.

Accordingly, Colonels Osman Çevik, Emin Yılmaz, Onur Bilgin, Birol Orak, Yusuf Karagülle, Lütfü Sezgin, Alper Doğukanlı, Cenk Taşlı, İlyas Ergel, Çağatay Metin Kalender, İlkay Çek, and Hakan Uçar were promoted to Rear Admiral (Lower Half).

In the Air Force Command, Lieutenant General Rafet Dalkıran was promoted to General, Major General Ergin Dinç to Lieutenant General, and Brigadier Generals Ertan Uzun, Vedat Öncel, and Serkan Gökhan Can to Major General.

10 COLONELS IN THE AIR FORCE COMMAND PROMOTED TO BRIGADIER GENERAL

Accordingly, Burak Özan, Orhun Atasever, Mert Uysal, Muarrem Özen, Mehmet Sertaç Seymen, Serdar Akkoyun, Selçuk Cumhur Kabasakal, Feyzi Tamer Altuntecim, Bülent Çankaya, and Ali Özdilim were promoted to Brigadier General.

Within the scope of the SCA decisions, the terms of office for Major Generals Ömer Ertuğrul Erbakan, Emre Tayanç, Davut Ala, and Brigadier Generals Hacı Halil Osma, Mehmet Zeki Eren, Mehmet Cihanoğlu, Mustafa Er, Gürcan Sezengöz, Hasan Basri Erkuzu, Kadir Eğriboyun, Ahmet Burak Yürüten, Ergün Fidan, Osman Pektaş, Ayhan Kalender, Mehmet Fatih Ören, Erdin Kaya, Ömer Şahin Selvi, Erdal Sertuğ Telli, Birol Arslan, Haluk Doğan, and Mehmet Ali Durmuş in the Land Forces Command were extended by 1 year.

The names whose terms of office were extended by 1 year in the Air Force Command were Major Generals Selçuk Aygün and Orhan Gürdal, and Brigadier Generals Ender Kartal, Hakan Çanlı, Serhat Mehmet Oruz, İbrahim Galip, Mehmet Ali Koç, and Tahir Kahan Büyüksaraç.

45 GENERALS AND ADMIRALS RETIRED

In line with the decisions, Major General Osman Alp and Brigadier General Veli Doğan in the Land Forces Command were retired due to age limits, effective from September 1.

With the decision, 43 generals and admirals were also retired due to lack of cadre, effective from August 30.

Accordingly, in the Land Forces Command, General Metin Gürak, Lieutenant Generals Veli Tarakcı, Sezai Öztürk, Mustafa Oğuz, Major Generals Tamer Atay, Subutay Adaş, Ahmet İbiş, Brigadier Generals Şefik Atak, Salih Büyük, Murat Yalbır, Abdullah Katırcı, İsmail Yayan, Mehmet Can Tepedelen, Mustafa Özay, Sinan Gökoğlan, Şükrü Özbakır, Şahin Yenilmez, Fatih Dağlı, Ali İhsan Bulut, Önder Durgut, Fatih Akpınar, Ahmet Nasuhoğlu, Rıza Kocabaş, Yasin Bulut, Sait Cengiz Özsoy, Tamer İleri, Erdal Tunç, and Murat Kaya were retired due to lack of cadre.

In the Naval Forces Command, Vice Admiral İbrahim Özdem Koçer, Rear Admirals Nihat Baran, Serhat Sözbir, and Rear Admirals (Lower Half) Neslim Eski, İbrahim Özdoğan, Tayfun Karataş, and Ali Tuna Baysal were retired due to lack of cadre.

In the Air Force Command, General İsmail Güneykaya, Major General Hüseyin Duman, and Brigadier Generals Mustafa Sadettin Karakan, Adem Akyüz, Hüseyin Sabri Akyol, Gürtaç Kayapınar, Levent Kefal, and Yavuz Matur were retired due to lack of cadre.

News Source: 12punto