16.08.2026 12:41
Following the decisions of the Supreme Military Council (YAŞ), the anticipated new assignment distribution in the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) was published in the Official Gazette. According to the decisions signed by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, the positions of a total of 205 generals and admirals were changed; the new assignments of the first female generals, Özlem Karapınar and Armağan Özel, and Alper Gezeravcı drew attention.
Within the scope of the new structuring in the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) command echelon, large-scale appointments were carried out in the Land, Naval, and Air Force Commands. With the decree published in the Official Gazette, 123 generals from the Land Forces Command, 44 generals from the Air Force Command, and 38 admirals from the Naval Forces Command were appointed and their new duty stations were determined.
CRITICAL DUTIES FOR FIRST FEMALE GENERALS
In the appointments made, the new duty stations of the female generals, who have gone down in TSK history, were also clarified. Brigadier General Özlem Karapınar, the first female general of the Air Force, was appointed as the Chief of Staff of the Air Training Command. Brigadier General Armağan Özel, the first female general of the Land Forces and President of the Army Aviation 2nd Aircraft Accident/Incident Investigation Board, was appointed to the Army Aviation Department Presidency.
GREAT CHANGE IN ARMY COMMANDS
Significant changes were made in the command echelon of the Land and Air Forces and in army commands:
In the Land Forces, 2nd Army Commander Lieutenant General Zorlu Topaloğlu was appointed to the Aegean Army Command, Land Forces Training and Doctrine (EDOK) Commander Lieutenant General Gültekin Yaralı was appointed to the 2nd Army Command, and 9th Army Commander Lieutenant General Tuncay Altuğ was appointed to the EDOK Command.
On the other hand, Turkish Cypriot Peace Forces Commander Sebahattin Kılınç was assigned to the General Staff, while 7th Corps Commander Lieutenant General Ertan İnaltekin was appointed as the Turkish Cypriot Peace Forces Commander. MSÜ Vice Rector Lieutenant General Burhan Aktaş was appointed to the 3rd Army Command, while in the Air Forces, General Erdoğan Gür assumed the duty of Combat Air Force Commander.
ALPER GEZERAVCI BECAME BASE COMMANDER
The appointment decisions also included names well known to the public. Alper Gezeravcı, who successfully carried out Turkey's first manned space mission and was promoted from colonel to brigadier general with the recent Supreme Military Council decisions, was appointed as the 5th Main Jet Base Command.
Additionally, veteran Major General Davut Ala, who was hit by 7 bullets while heroically defending his barracks during FETÖ's treacherous coup attempt, was appointed as the 5th Corps Commander; EDOK Training Division Commander Major General Emre Tayanç was appointed as the 4th Corps Commander.