Special Forces Command (Turkey)

First established on 27 September 1952 as the Special and Auxiliary Combat Troops, the OKK was renamed Mobilization Investigation Board in November 1953. On 14 December 1970, it was reorganized as the Special Warfare Department.[8] Due to the emergence of external dangers after the Gulf War and threats from the northern part of Iraq, the Special Forces Command was established as a brigade on 14 April 1992 through changes in its campus and structure.[9] Later, the division was followed by the corps with the decision of the 2006 Supreme Military Council, which was later reaffirmed in 2015.[10] They ranked first among twenty-six special forces troops at the World Special Forces Championship held in Germany in 2004.[11]

In 1998, Turkey's special forces captured the commander of Kurdistan Democratic Party's (PKK) military forces, Şemdin Sakık, and infiltrated their operation upon intercepting a warning intended for the PKK team in Iraq.[12] In 1999, the Turkish Special Forces used technology given to them by the Netherlands to arrest Abdullah Öcalan, a founding member of the PKK, after he landed at the Nairobi airport in Kenya.[13] In 2014, after 49 consular employees were taken hostage by ISIS in Mosul, Special Forces Command carried out joint operations with MIT, the Turkish National Intelligence Organization, and rescued the hostages.[14] Special Forces Command took part in internal security operations during the 2015-2016 curfews in the Southeastern Anatolia Region,[15][16] Furthermore, on 21 February 2015 they participated in Operation Shah Euphrates to relocate the tomb of Suleyman Shah in Syria.[17] With the start of the operations in Syria against ISIS and PYD in 2016 during Operation Euphrates Shield, the Special Forces Command infiltrated the region and carried out exploration activities supported by the Free Syrian Army.[18] Special Forces Command also played a role in operations such as Operation Olive Branch,[19] Operation Claw (2019–2020),[20] Operation Peace Spring[21] and Operations Claw-Eagle and Tiger.[22]

The identities of Turkish Special Forces Command personnel are classified.[23] Turkish SOF Officers are battle hardened and are constantly operating and are active in the war on the PKK in the southeastern Iraqi border region of Turkey and into Northern Iraq. They operate against the organization's executive positions and critical points across the border.[24][25]

The Special Forces are not aligned to any of the three branches of the TAF. They receive orders directly from the General Staff of the Republic of Turkey.[28] Despite being considered a brigade-level formation, as of 2017 they include non-combatant units and administrative duties personnel. The combatant size of the OKK is not greater than 500.[29]

Only Army officers and NCOs are eligible to join the OKK. Linguistic skills in at least one foreign language are beneficial toward admission.[29] Each recruit must have served at least 3 years with a certain amount of time in operations - either exercises or actual clashes.

The OKK training period lasts around 3.5 years, and addresses:[33][34] unconventional warfare and various special warfare types, special operations, special reconnaissance and infiltration, covert operations, psychological warfare, underwater operation, static parachute and HALO (night and day jump), counter-terrorism in residential areas, close-quarters combat, resisting vital maintenance and torture-ınterrogation, ambush, raid, sabotage, escape, VIP protection, marksmanship, ıntelligence, languages, survival, operation in deep snow, severe cold and heat, bomb disposal, demolition, fire arrangement, damage detection, and first and emergency aid.[29]

Recruits must undergo:

• Domestic training (72 weeks)
• International training (10 to 52 weeks, depending on rank)
• Specialty training

After graduating from Special Operations Training, commandos are tested before they officially become Maroon Beret officers. They are expected to survive in all environmental conditions, so as part of the final testing stage teams of recruits are left in different environments for two weeks, with no equipment or help.

On the last month of training, called the "hell month", Maroon Berets receive training in interrogation and torture, and undetake a Trust Shot (Turkish: Güven Atışı) exercise. In this exercise, two members of a squad have to flank paper target boards while the third advances from 15 m (49 ft) and shoots at the targets with live ammunition. Those standing are not permitted to move or wear body armor.[35]

Source: [36]

• List of military special forces units

[37]

Media related to Özel Kuvvetler Komutanlığı at Wikimedia Commons

• Lale Sariibrahimoglu, 'Live-fire exercises shine spotlight on Turkey's special forces,' Jane's Defence Weekly, 7 January 2004