70,000 Turkish conscripts demobilised early following changes in law.

Over 70,000 conscript soldiers in the Turkish Army have been demobilised on 1 January, after changes in the law on compulsory military service which has reduced the time to be served in the military from twelve to fifteen months. Turkey has the largest conscript army in NATO and military service has traditionally been seen as an important process of national cohesion.

All young males are expected to serve in the military, although those with university degrees normally serve for only six months. This has remained unchanged.

The move to reduce military service is highly popular among young people, as well as their families.

The number of conscripts has been increasing significantly from year to year due to increases in the Turkish population. The move is therefore not likely to impact Turkey's military strength.

There are some who have been supporting a move from a conscript army to a professional force, but many see conscription, in a country that is increasingly divided by political, social and ethnic views, as a means through which young people imbibe patriotism and national values. It is therefore unlikely that conscription will end soon, regardless of military expediency.

source: commonspace.eu

 

 

Related articles

Editor's choice
News
Tensions continue between Pakistan and Afghanistan

Tensions continue between Pakistan and Afghanistan

Tensions have again increased between Pakistan and Afghanistan. At least 28 civilians were killed after Pakistan launched air strikes and sent ground troops into Afghan provinces along its border on Sunday, the United Nations Afghan mission (UNAMA), has said. A further 49 were injured and women and children were among the victims, according to UNAMA. Afghanistan's Taliban government said civilian homes were hit and described the attack as a "cowardly act" and an "atrocity". Meanwhile, Pakistan said it had targeted militant hideouts in Afghanistan's Paktia, Paktika and Kunar provinces. The neighbouring countries agreed to a ceasefire last October following weeks of deadly clashes and an agreement that has since fallen apart. Casualties were concentrated in Mandokhail, a village in the Paktia province, according to Taliban officials. Afghanistan's Taliban government put the civilian death toll at 36 and said more than 160 had been injured. Pakistan's information minister Attaullah Tarar said 29 militants had been killed in an operation responding to "recent terrorist attacks against innocent people". The BBC has not independently confirmed figures from either side. The attacks come a day after three members of the Sindh Rangers, a Pakistani paramilitary force, were killed at their headquarters in Karachi, according to Pakistan's military. Three militants also died in the suicide attack, and Pakistani officials said they had arrested a fourth, who was an Afghan. Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, a splinter faction of the TTP, claimed responsibility for Saturday's attack. Both the TTP, also known as the Pakistan Taliban, and Jamaat-ul-Ahrar are banned in Pakistan, and by the UN, because of their involvement in past attacks. Pakistan has long accused Afghanistan of harbouring terror groups that carry out cross-border attacks, a claim the Taliban government rejects.

Popular

Editor's choice
Interview
Thursday Interview: Murad Muradov

Thursday Interview: Murad Muradov

Today, commonspace.eu starts a new regular weekly series. THURSDAY INTERVIEW, conducted by Lauri Nikulainen, will host  persons who are thinkers, opinion shapers, and implementors in their countries and spheres. We start the series with an interview with Murad Muradov, a leading person in Azerbaijan's think tank community. He is also the first co-chair of the Action Committee for a new Armenian-Azerbaijani Dialogue. Last September he made history by being the first Azerbaijani civil society activist to visit Armenia after the 44 day war, and the start of the peace process. Speaking about this visit Murad Muradov said: "My experience was largely positive. My negative expectations luckily didn’t play out. The discussions were respectful, the panel format bringing together experts from Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Turkey was particularly valuable during the NATO Rose-Roth Seminar in Yerevan, and media coverage, while varied in tone, remained largely constructive. Some media outlets though attempted to represent me as more of a government mouthpiece than an independent expert, which was totally misleading.  Overall, I see these initiatives as important steps in rebuilding trust and normalising professional engagement. The fact that soon a larger Azerbaijani civil society visits to Armenia followed, reinforces the sense that this process is moving in the right direction." (click the image to read the interview in full)