Turkey

the responsibilities of the Turkish Armed Forces (TAF) include protecting the country's territory and sovereignty, participating in international peacekeeping operations, fulfilling Türkiye’s military commitments to NATO, providing disaster/humanitarian relief and assistance to domestic law enforcement if requested by civil authorities, and supporting the country's overall national security interests; it also has overall responsibility for the security of Türkiye’s borders Türkiye is active in international peacekeeping and other military/security operations under NATO and the UN, as well as under bilateral agreements with some countries, such as Azerbaijan, Libya, Somalia, and Qatar; Türkiye has been a member of NATO since 1952 and hosts the headquarters for a NATO Land Command and a Rapid Deployment Corps, multiple airbases for NATO and US aircraft, NATO air/missile defense systems, and training centers; the TAF is the second-largest military in NATO behind the US the military traces its history back to 200 B.C., although the modern TAF was formed following the collapse of the Ottoman Empire at the conclusion of the Turkish War of Independence (1919-1923); the TAF traditionally has been viewed as the “guardian” of Turkish politics, but its political role was diminished after the failed 2016 coup attempt; the military has a stake in Türkiye's economy through a holding company that is involved in the automotive, defense, energy, finance, and logistics sectors, as well as iron and steel production (2025)

approximately 250 Bosnia-Herzegovina (EUFOR); approximately 30,000 Cyprus; 730 Kosovo (NATO/KFOR); Turkiye also has several thousand military personnel deployed to other countries under bilateral agreements, including Azerbaijan, Libya, Qatar, and Somalia (2025)

note: Turkey estimated to maintain several thousand military forces in both Iraq and Syria

Turkish Armed Forces (TAF; Türk Silahlı Kuvvetleri, TSK): Turkish Land Forces (Türk Kara Kuvvetleri), Turkish Naval Forces (Türk Deniz Kuvvetleri; includes naval air and naval infantry), Turkish Air Forces (Türk Hava Kuvvetleri) Ministry of Interior: Gendarmerie General Command (aka Gendarmerie of the Turkish Republic), Turkish Coast Guard Command, General Directorate of Security (National Police) (2025)

note: the Gendarmerie (Jandarma) is responsible for the maintenance of the public order in areas that fall outside the jurisdiction of police forces (generally in rural areas); in wartime, the Gendarmerie and Coast Guard would be placed under the operational control of the Land Forces and Naval Forces, respectively

military service is compulsory for Turkish men 20-41 for a period of 6-12 months; men and women may volunteer (2025)

note: after completing 1 month of basic training, conscripts have the option to opt out of the last 5 months by paying a fee

the military's inventory is comprised of domestically produced and mostly European (such as Germany, Italy, and Spain) or US armaments; other suppliers have included Russia and South Korea; Türkiye's defense industry produces a range of weapons systems for both export and internal use, including armored vehicles, naval vessels, and unmanned aerial vehicles/drones; some of its domestically produced armaments are produced jointly with foreign partners or based on imported weapons systems and produced under license (2025)

approximately 495,000 active military personnel; approximately 150,000 Gendarmerie (2025)