View source for General Staff of the Turkish Armed Forces

{{Short description|Highest staff organization in the Turkish Armed Forces}}
{{Infobox military unit
| unit_name                     = General Staff of the Turkish Armed Forces
| native_name                   = {{langx|tr|Türk Silahlı Kuvvetleri Genelkurmay Başkanlığı}}
| image                         = General Staff of Turkey - Çankaya.jpg
| image_size                    = 250px
| caption                       = Turkish General Staff Headquarters Buildin, [[Kızılay, Ankara]].
| start_date                         = 3 May 1920 
| country                       = {{flag|Turkey}}
| allegiance                    = 
| branch                        = 
| type                          =  [[Staff (military)|staff]]
| role                          = 
| size                          = 
| command_structure             = [[Turkish Armed Forces]]
| garrison                      = [[General Staff Building (Ankara)|General Staff Building]], [[Ankara]]
<!-- Commanders -->| commander1                    = [[Four-star rank|General]] [[Metin Gürak]]
| commander1_label              = Chief
| commander2                    = [[Four-star rank|General]] {{Interlanguage link|İrfan Özsert|tr}}
| commander2_label              = Second Chief
}}
[[File:Generalstaff.jpg|thumb|right|A meeting led by Chief of the General Staff [[Fevzi Çakmak]] in the 1940s]]

The '''General Staff of the Turkish Armed Forces''' ([[Turkish language|Turkish]]: ''Türk Silahlı Kuvvetleri Genelkurmay Başkanlığı'', ''abbreviation: TSK Gnkur. Bşk.lığı'') is the highest staff organization in the Turkish Armed Forces.

== Chief of the General Staff ==
[[File:Turkey-army-OF-9.svg|thumb|85px|Rank insignia of the Chief of the General Staff|alt=]]

Source:<ref name=":0">{{cite web |url=https://www.tsk.tr/Sayfalar?viewName=Mission |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180619134415/http://www.tsk.tr/Sayfalar?viewName=Mission |archive-date=2018-06-19 |title=Turkish Armed Forces}}</ref>

The Chief of the General Staff is the most senior ranked officer in the [[Turkish Armed Forces]]. The current [[Chief_of_the_Turkish_General_Staff|Chief of the General Staff]] is [[Metin Gürak]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.tsk.tr/Sayfalar?viewName=Ozgecmis |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180612124057/http://www.tsk.tr/Sayfalar?viewName=Ozgecmis |archive-date=2018-06-12 |title=Türk Silahlı Kuvvetleri Genelkurmay Başkanlığı}}</ref> His predecessor was [[Hulusi Akar]]. According to the [[Constitution of Turkey]], the Chief of the General Staff reports to the [[President of Turkey|President]] and serves as Commander of the [[Turkish Armed Forces]].

In times of war, the Chief of the General Staff assumes the authority of [[Commander in Chief]] on behalf of the [[President (government title)|President]], which represents the authority of [[Commander in Chief]] on behalf of the [[Grand National Assembly of Turkey|Parliament]]. Commanding the Armed Forces and establishing the policies and programs related with the preparation of personnel for combat, [[intelligence (information gathering)|intelligence]], operations, organization, training and logistic services are the responsibilities of the General Staff. Furthermore, the General Staff coordinates the military relations of the Turkish Armed Forces with its counterparts in the member states of [[NATO]] and other friendly nations.

The Chief of the General Staff holds the fifth-highest rank in the state protocol list, behind the President of the Republic, the President of the Constitutional Court, the Chairman of the [[Grand National Assembly of Turkey|Grand National Assembly]] and the Vice President, on the protocol of the Republic of Turkey.

It is customary for the Chief of the General Staff to have held the post of [[List of Commanders of the Turkish Land Forces|Commander of the Turkish Land Forces]] prior to their appointment. Although it is not a legal requirement.

==Turkey's defence organisation==

The hierarchy, representation and employment of the [[Turkish Armed Forces]] within the state organization is regulated by the [[constitution of Turkey]].

The '''Turkish Armed Forces''' consists of '''General Staff of the Turkish Armed Forces''', the '''[[Turkish Land Forces]]''', the '''[[Turkish Naval Forces]]'''  and the [[Turkish Air Force|'''Turkish Air Forces''']].

According to the constitution, the '''<nowiki/>'Commander in Chief'''<nowiki/>' is within the spiritual entity of the [[Grand National Assembly of Turkey|'''Grand National Assembly''']] and represented by the '''President''' who is responsible to the Grand National Assembly for national security and the preparation of the Turkish Armed Forces to defend the country. However, the authority to declare a state of war and send the Turkish Armed Forces to foreign countries or allow foreign armed forces to be stationed in Turkey require a vote of approval from the Turkish Parliament. Although president can decide to use the Armed Forces for defence of the country if there is a sudden outside attack against the country.

'''Minister of National Defence''' is subordinate to the President and responsible for recruitment, procurement, production, logistics, medical care and other tasks in the preparation of Armed Forces and its personnel for military operations.  

'''The''' '''Chief of the General Staff''' is subordinate to the [[Ministry of National Defense (Turkey)|Minister of National Defense]] and responsible for:<ref name=":0" />
* Preparing the Armed Forces and its personnel for military operations 
* Gathering military intelligence
* Organization and training of the Armed Forces
* Management of the logistic services

The Chief of the General Staff is also, '''Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces in the name of the [[President of Turkey|President]]''', in wartime.

The commanders of the three services (Army, Navy and Air Force) reports '''directly''' to the [[Ministry of National Defense (Turkey)|Minister of National Defense]].

{{Tree chart/start}}{{Tree chart | | | | | | | | | A1 | | | | |A1=[[President of Turkey|President]]<br/>([[Commander-in-Chief]])}}
{{Tree chart | | | | | | | | | |!| | | | | | }}
{{Tree chart | | | | | | | | | B1 | | | | |B1=[[Ministry of National Defense (Turkey)|Minister of National Defense]]}}
{{Tree chart | | | | ,| -| -| -| v| -|^| -| v| -| -| -| .|}}
{{Tree chart | | | C1| | C2|| C3||C4|| | | |C1='''Chief of the General Staff'''|C2=Commander of the Land Forces|C3=Commander of the Naval Forces|C4=Commander of the Air Forces}}
{{Tree chart/end}}{{Cite web|title=Ministry of National Defence Organization Chart|url=https://www.msb.gov.tr/Bakanlik/TeskilatSemasi}}

==Special Forces Command==
{{Main|Special Forces Command (Turkey)}}

Special Forces Command ({{langx|tr|Özel Kuvvetler Komutanlığı}}), nicknamed Maroon Berets ({{langx|tr|Bordo Bereliler}}) because of their distinctive service headgear, are the [[special operations]] unit of the [[Turkish Armed Forces]]. Special Forces Command is not aligned to any force command in TAF, getting orders directly from the General Staff .

== List of the Chiefs of the General Staff ==
{{main|Chief of the Turkish General Staff}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
{{commons category|General Staff of the Turkish Armed Forces}}

* {{Official website|http://www.tsk.tr/HomeEng}}

{{Military of Turkey}}
{{National intelligence agencies}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:General Staff Of The Turkish Armed Forces}}
[[Category:Military of Turkey]]
[[Category:Staff (military)]]