Why are they all going in the military?

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deniz

First, "every Turk being a soldier", might in fact be the nationalist/militaristic statement "every Turk is born a soldier".

About the compulsory conscription of heterosexual males, they are drafted when they are 20 years old. They can postpone for at least one year for a multitude of reasons including preparing for the nationwide university entrance exam. If they go to a 4+ year college, they can postpone until 2 years after they finish their college. They can go to another college and postpone it again, as long as they are < 38 years old (according to wikipedia (unsourced claim) 29 for university degree, 33 for Masters' Degree, 37 for Doctorate). Besides these educational reasons, the sportspeople competing in the highest level competitions can postpone the military service.

If his brother is already doing his compulsory military service, he can postpone it. If he is too sick, he may postpone it, or do the military service with some accommodations.

The ones who have worked 3*365 days in a foreign country, can pay 10,000 Deutsche Marks= 5,112 Euros until they are 38 years old, and do the military service until that age. If the ones working outside Turkey surpass 38 years, they can still do the military service by paying a much higher amount of money.

The duration of the military service ranges from 21 days to 15 months, depending on the situation.

If the person has not done the military service without a valid excuse, if he is found, he will be sent to do the military service. Not doing the military service may lead to the removal of citizenship.

I have not heard any special situations about fathers who's children have no mother, there may or may not be. In almost all cases, the grandparents will take care of the children. Each province has one or several "Askerlik Subesi"s, some military offices each headed by a (lieutenant) colonel which handle these military service issues. The colonel may do exceptions in certain cases.

xanthochroi

military service is compulsory for all turkish male citizens after 20 years old(not 18) of course with some exceptions only for healthy people if they completed their education at universities they could choose among these durations reserve officers (12 months) or short term soldier (5-6 months) Turkish citizens who have been living abroad for at least 2 or 3 years can pay a fee in foreign currency (which i don't remember right now) and take only one month basic training

many european countries have similar system like albania, greece, cyprus, finland, germany etc. and all of them have mandatory military service

istanbul bogazinda yandi gonlum

because we will do anything for our country

GPapenburg

They are all going in the military because they have to. Turkey has a conscriptional or draft military system. Each male person being medically fit for duty has to perform military service of 15 months, people who have studied and got their diploma are supposed to perform 12 months of mandatory military service.

greetings_losers

Able men who are 20 should join the Turkish army for 15 months. No one before that age is allowed. The ones who graduated from a 4 years university may choose to serve for 12 months as an officer or 6 months as a private (most likely they are promoted to be sergeants if they are not marines, if marines they might get promoted to be a corporal or stay as a private)

Every Turk being a soldier denotes the heritage of Turks.

For the ones whose family suffer, amy gives monetary assistance. It's specifically asked to the newly joined soldiers in private

Samuel Harris

basically, every turkish man has to do 15 months of military service, there can be some circumstances where exceptions can be made such as:

if the guy is gay they can be let off
if they are a turk living overseas they can reduce their service to about 3 weeks, but g2 pay for it.
Sometimes when the government need money such as when there was an earthquake, people can pay money to have very reduced services.

The service starts at 20 (i think) and can be delayed to 38, if the person doesn't do the service and has no excuse, they will lose their turkish citizenship.

Hope that helped

mandy

As far as im aware they have to do 15 months national service, but im not turkish.:>)

atrak

Why are they all going in the military? .. messages above me was explain mechanics about national service, I try explain mental / tradition way.

This is matter of honor and neccecery action for every turkish guy who reach 20, more than service .. in turkish tradition a man who wasn't finish his national service isn't a real man .. he can't find a decent job, he can't married with his girl or he can't take respect from his friends or neighbors.

Turks born for be a soldier .. being a badass soldier one of the biggest Honor he can imagine it for a average joe.

.. or Wounted/Die at during service, when it's happen some how ; more than thousands ( whole of city we can say ) will join his service for honored him and his family .. because they think he is a true hero .. he was sacrifice his flesh and blood for common good , run and/or surrender is one of the biggest shame for a turkish guy and his family.

I'll give one example .. almost one and half year ago several turkish soldiers captured by a terrorist raiding party who coming from northern iraq

.. they run back thu iraq with hostages, after a week they live those guys for nothing because "no negotiation with terrorists under any circumstance" one of the army tradition .. they send back turkey and they arrested by military police A.S.A.P before can't see his families .. and those poor guys takes receive imprisonment for 5+ year from court marshall

.. sad isn't? but this isn't finish .. yet

this guys families suffering beyond them,because them .. like them.

neighbores stops spoke or trade with convict's families members anymore. when they live out the home people was spit out his faces .. they think "who's not on the balls / testicals , who doesn't deserve live with us" for whole family.

because they was taken surrender by enemies , they can't rezist against enemies until die .. and it was a big shame / taboo for his family, his city' his culture .. most of families leaves the hometowns for new life because new people who living new cities can't recognise them eaisly, they run away from that shame's shadow .. they was do that because they under totally isolation from own society because son's shame.

as u see, being a part of turkish army and finish his service with honor are very imported matter for a turkish guy / turks .. I think that society ( turks ) think little :) different then euro's :-)

.. all we did this, when our turn comes.

dingdong

because we have to protect our country against our enemies . its every turkish mens duty. i would not call someone a man if he did not do his national service. just a coward mouse

c.irvin614

between the ages of 18-26 i think it is? every eligible male, meaning healthy, and physically able to, serves in the turkish army for 2 years. it required by law.

ikkus

Every Turkish male, 18 to 26 years of age, who is medically fit is drafted into the Turkish military for at least 15 months. This also includes ethnic Kurds and other ethnicities who are Turkish citizens.

If you refuse you go to jail, as Turkey refuses to recognize conscientious objectors. Mehmet Tarhan is a recent and famous example.

There are no exceptions, unless you yourself aren't medically fit. However, I have heard from my family that you can pay the State so you don't have to join the military. You can claim that you are gay, but this means that the State will examine you rectally and will demand evidence to support this claim.

This also applies to Turkish citizens who live abroad, such as Germany which has the largest Turkish minority. I became an American citizen for this very reason, so I wouldn't be drafted (I lived in the States, now Germany). I'm not one for war and I can hardly speak Turkish.

Currently, the military is fighting against Kurdish separatists, the PKK, in Southeastern Turkey and also in cross-border attacks into Iraq against the PKK. However, this also applies in peace time. I found that Turkey is surprisingly nationalistic and militaristic when I visited, although the people themselves are very against war (98% were against the Iraq war, with a 3% margin of error...)

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