The Gendarmerie General Command () is the national gendarmerie force of Turkey. It is a service branch of the Ministry of Interior responsible for the maintenance of the public order in areas that fall outside the jurisdiction of the General Directorate of Security (generally in rural areas), as well as assuring internal security along with carrying out other specific duties assigned to it by certain laws and regulations.
The Commander of the Gendarmerie reports to the Minister of the Interior.
The Gendarmerie has its roots in the Ottoman Empire military law enforcement organization "Subaşı" (later known as the "Zaptiye"). A similar, earlier force called "Şurta" existed during the medieval Seljuk Empire.
History
left|thumb|Ottoman Gendarmerie Cavalry in Macedonia.
Ottoman era
After the abolition of the Janissary corps of the Ottoman Empire in 1826, military organizations called Asâkir-i Muntazâma-i Mansûre, Asâkir-i Muntazâma-i Hâssa, and, in 1834, Asâkir-i Redîfe were established for security and public order in Anatolia and in some provinces of Rumelia.
thumb|left|British officers in the Ottoman Gendarmerie, 1904
As the first use of the term Gendarmerie was in the Assignment Decrees published in the years following the 1839 Edict of Gülhane, it is assumed that the Gendarmerie organization was founded after that year, but the exact date of foundation has not yet been determined. Therefore, the date on which the name Asâkir-i Zaptiye Nizâmnâmesi was adopted, June 14, 1839, is usually considered the foundation date of the Turkish Gendarmerie.
After the 1877–1878 Russo-Turkish War, Ottoman prime minister Mehmed Said Pasha decided to bring police officers from Britain and France to establish a modern law enforcement organization. The Gendarmerie was used to great effect after the 1908 Young Turk Revolution, particularly in Rumelia. In 1909, the Gendarmerie was affiliated with the Ministry of War, and its name was changed to the Gendarmerie General Command ().
Gendarmerie units continued their internal security duties as well as taking part in the conflict at various fronts as a part of the Armed Forces during World War I and the Turkish War of Independence.
Republic of Turkey
20th century
thumb|upright|A Turkish [[conscript gendarme on guard at Topkapı Palace in Istanbul]]
The Gendarmerie organization achieved its current legal status on June 10, 1930. In 1939, the Gendarmerie organization was restructured, having three groups: Fixed Gendarmerie Units, Mobile Gendarmerie Units, and Gendarmerie Training Units and Schools.
In 1956, the Gendarmerie General Command was assigned the duties of protecting borders, coasts and territorial waters, and fighting smuggling, which had been previously carried out by the Gümrük Umum Kumandanlığı, under the Ministry of Customs and Monopoly. In 1957, Gendarmerie Border Units were transformed into brigades, and Gendarmerie Training Brigades were established.
In 1961, Gendarmerie Regional Commands were established. In 1968, the first Gendarmerie Aviation Unit was established in Diyarbakır under the name of Light Helicopter Company Command.
In 1974, Gendarmerie Commando Units and Gendarmerie Aviation Units took part in the Turkish military operations in Cyprus.
In 1988, the duty of protecting the land borders and ensuring their security was assigned to the Land Forces Command, but Gendarmerie General Command still holds the responsibility for some parts of the Iranian and Syrian borders and the whole Iraqi border.
The Gendarmerie Criminal Department was founded in Ankara in 1993 and from 1994, Gendarmerie Regional Criminal Laboratory Superiorities were founded. Crime Scene Examination Teams, Explosive Material Disposal Units, Fingerprints and Palm Prints Branches and Crime Scene Examination Units were also established.
21st century
In 2016, the Gendarmerie General Command was affiliated to the Ministry of Interior.
In 2018, Gendarmerie Special Operations participated in Operation Olive Branch, part of the Turkish involvement in the Syrian Civil War. According to the Syrian Observatory of Human Rights, Turkish Gendarmerie killed 500 Syrian civilians at the Turkish-Syrian border.
The Gendarmerie General Command currently has a total of 3,600 units, including 3,056 Internal Security Units, 218 Commando Units, 162 Prison Units, 160 Protection Units and four Aviation Units.
Duties
The duties of the gendarmerie according to the Law No. 2803 on the Organization, Duties and Powers of the Gendarmerie; It is categorized under four main titles as judicial, military, civil and other duties.
Judicial duties
- Finding crimes and criminals,
- Capturing suspects,
- Transferring evidence judicial authorities,
- Conduct preparatory investigations when instructed to by the public prosecutor,
- Transporting prisoners between jails and courthouses.
Civil duties
- To ensure that the services for general safety and security are carried out in accordance with the relevant legislation,
- To carry out the services of informing the public about how to protect the society from public order crime, directing children and young people to crime and taking precautionary measures,
- To evaluate the information and statistics about public order crimes, to conduct or have an analysis of the crime and to determine the methods of combating crime to prevent public order crimes by evaluating them,
- Carrying out activities to prevent crime,
- Preventing, pursuing and investigating smuggling,
- External protection of penal institutions and detention centers.
Military duties
- To perform military services provided by law
Other duties
- These are duties other than judicial, military and civil duties, such as facility and personal protection and transport security, which must be carried out in accordance with laws and regulations, orders and decisions.
Structure
thumb|Gendarmerie General Command Headquarters
Commands
Gendarmerie General Command Headquarters (Ankara)
- Gendarmerie Security Corps Command (Van)
- 23. Gendarmerie Border Division (Şırnak)
- 21. Gendarmerie Border Brigade (Yüksekova)
- 1. Gendarmerie Commando Brigade (Çakırsöğüt, Şırnak)
- 2. Gendarmerie Commando Brigade (Bornova, İzmir)
- Gendarmerie Training Command (Ankara, İncek, Gölbaşı)
- 1. Gendarmerie Training Battalion Command (Aydın)
- 2. Gendarmerie Training Battalion Command (Bilecik)
- 3. Gendarmerie Training Battalion Command (Ezine, Çanakkale)
- 5. Gendarmerie Training Regiment Command (Gölköy, Kastamonu)
- 6. Gendarmerie Commando Training Regiment Command (Kırkağaç, Manisa)
- 7. Gendarmerie Commando Training Regiment Command (Yenifoça, İzmir)
- Gendarmerie Combat Training Battalion Command (Seferihisar, İzmir)
- Gendarmerie Transport Battalion Command (Söğüt, Bilecik)
- 10. Gendarmerie Training Regiment Command (Bornova, İzmir)
- 116. Gendarmerie Private Training Regiment Command (Çanakkale)
- 121. Gendarmerie Training Regiment Command (Serinyol, Antakya)
- 125. Gendarmerie Training Regiment Command (Safranbolu, Karabük)
- Işıklar Gendarmerie NCO High School (Bursa) ( was established in 1845 as "Mekteb-i Fünun-u İdadi"')
- Gendarmerie Horse and Dog Training Center Command (Nevşehir) (JAKEM)
- Gendarmerie Logistics Command (Güvercinlik, Ankara)
- Gendarmerie Aviation Command (Güvercinlik, Ankara)
- Gendarmerie UAV Command (Elazığ)
- Gendarmerie Special Public Security Command (JÖAK)
- Gendarmerie Special Operations (JÖH)
- Gendarmerie Search and Rescue Battalion Command (JAK)
- Gendarmerie Underwater Search and Rescue Teams (SAK)
- Gendarmerie Public Security Boat Commands (Security and public order services at inland waters are carried out by the Gendarmerie Public Order Boat Commands.)
- Village guards
- Prison Gendarmerie Division Commands (There are garrison stations appointed in every prison)
- The Gendarmerie Band Command
Criminal units
- Provincial Gendarmerie Commands in 81 provinces & in 388 districts.
- The Crime Scene Investigation Teams (CSIT) (Working under the Provincial and District Gendarmerie Commands systematically examine the crime scene by means of technical and scientific methods; properly gather physical evidences; pack and send them to forensic laboratories.)
- Explosive Ordnance Disposal Teams ( which have been established in tourism regions, regions with a concentration of terror incidents and big cities, dispose of explosive ordnances.)
- Crime scene investigation units
- Anti-Smuggling and Organized Crime Department (ASOCD)
- Gendarmerie Intelligence Organization
Other units
- Gendarmerie Traffic Teams
- The Gendarmerie Motorcycled Public Order Teams (Round-the-clock at the highways established by the protocols in the responsibility areas of the Gendarmerie General Command.)
- Gendarmerie Dog Teams
- Gendarmerie Environmental Protection Teams (Environmental Protection Teams have been established in order to protect environment, ecological balance and natural life, to protect living species and areas protected by national legislation and international conventions and to prevent environmental pollution.)
- The Gendarmerie Mounted Units (Used in performing patrolling services at resort areas, forestlands, recreation spots and museums (Topkapı Palace), and in performing preventive law enforcement services.)
Jurisdiction
The Gendarmerie General Command has jurisdiction over 93 percent of Turkey's territory, focusing on rural and border areas, and serves approximately 20 percent of the population. The remaining areas fall under the jurisdiction of the police department.
Led by a four-star general and organized into multiple commands, the Gendarmerie comprises nearly 195,218 to 200,000 personnel. It plays a central role in maintaining security in rural regions that are often targeted by criminal groups for smuggling, human and drug trafficking.
The Gendarmerie is a member of the NATO Stability Policing Centre of Excellence (NATO SP COE) and the International Association of Gendarmeries and Police Forces with Military Status (FIEP).
Ranks
Officers
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Other Ranks
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The Gendarmerie Museum
thumb|Museum
The Gendarmerie Museum is established in order to reflect the developments in periodical order beginning with the foundation of the Gendarmerie organization; to exhibit its activities, heroic deeds, services in the history; to protect all kinds of military cultural assets related to the Gendarmerie by collecting them and to transfer them to the future generations.
The Gendarmerie Museum in the Beytepe Lieutenant General İsmail SELEN Quarters in Ankara and is open to public.
Equipment
{| class="wikitable"
!Model
!Origin
!Type
!References
|-
|Canik TP9
| rowspan="2" |
| rowspan="3" |Semi-automatic pistol
|
|-
|Sarsilmaz SAR 9
|
|-
|Glock 19
|
|
|-
|Sarsılmaz Cobra & Baba
| rowspan="2" |
| rowspan="3" |Shotgun
| rowspan="2" |
|-
|SAR 109T
|
|
|-
|FN P90
|
|
|-
|AKM
|
| rowspan="2" |Rifle
|
|-
|Heckler & Koch G3
| rowspan="3" |
| rowspan="17" |Rifle
| rowspan="3" |
|-
|KCR-556
|
|-
|M16A1
| rowspan="2" |
|
|-
|LMT MWS 308
| rowspan="3" |
| rowspan="2" |
|-
|Robar RC-50
| rowspan="2" |
|
|-
|SR-25
|
|-
|SVD
|
|
|-
|SAR 762 MT
|
|-
|M249 SAW
|
|
|-
|MG3
|
| rowspan="2" |
|-
|Milkor M32A1
|
|
|-
|M19
| rowspan="2" |
| rowspan="4" |Mortar
| rowspan="3" |
|-
|JARMOL
|Directed energy weapon
|
|-
|ASELSAN IHTAR KARTAL-2
|Anti-drone system
|
|-
|COŞKUN
|EOD robot
|
|-
|ASLAN
|Medium class UGV with integrated AVAZ long-range sonic weapon
|
|}
Vehicles and Aerial vehicles
{| class="wikitable"
|-
!style="width:7%;"|Model!!Image!!style="width:9%;"|Origin/Assembly!!Type!!style="width:7%;"|Variant!!Quantity!!Details
|-
! colspan="7" |Patrol vehicles
|-
|TOGG
|frameless|170x170px
| rowspan="2" |
|Electric Patrol vehicle
|SUV
|N/A
|
|-
|BMC Tulga
|frameless|170x170px
|Armoured patrol vehicle
|SUV
|
|Expected to enter the inventory of Gendarmerie 2025.It will be produced 300 in total.
|-
|Isuzu D-Max
|frameless|170x170px
|<hr>
| rowspan="4" |Patrol vehicle
|Pick-up
| rowspan="2" |N/A
|
|-
|Dacia Duster
|frameless|170x170px
|<hr><hr>
|SUV
|
|-
|Fiat Egea
|frameless|172x172px
| rowspan="2" |<hr>
|Sedan
|50
|
|-
|Fiat Doblo
|frameless|170x170px
| rowspan="2" |<hr>
| rowspan="5" |Traffic patrol vehicle
| rowspan="3" |Sedan
| rowspan="10" |N/A
|
|-
|Renault Fluence
|frameless|170x170px
| rowspan="3" |<hr>
|
|-
|Mitsubishi Triton
|frameless|170x170px
| rowspan="3" |Pick-up
|
|-
|Nisan Navara
|frameless|170x170px
| rowspan="3" |<hr>
| rowspan="3" |Patrol vehicle
|
|-
|Ford Transit Custom
|frameless|170x170px
| rowspan="2" |Van
|
|-
|Ford Transit
|frameless|170x170px
|
|-
|Honda Africa Twin
| 200
200
| Integrated JARMOL Directed energy weapon on Kirpi 1. It can be combined with IHTAR KARTAL-2 anti-drone system.
|frameless|170x170px
|
|MRAP
|Vuran 4x4
Vuran Alkar
|240
|BMC Vuran armored vehicle with Mobile Adjustable Ramp System. The Gendarmerie took delivery of the VURAN vehicles mounted on the ALKAR 120mm Mortar Weapon System. Mobile mortar capability will be gained with ALKAR-mounted VURAN vehicles.
|
|-
|Katmerciler Hızır
|frameless|170x170px
|
|MRAP
|
|57
|
|-
|Otokar Akrep
|frameless|170x170px
|
|Armoured Patrol vehicle
|Akrep I
|100
|
|-
|FNSS PARS
|frameless|170x170px
|
|Armoured fighting vehicle
|PARS SCOUT
|0/5
|Expected delivery of 5 AFV.
|-
|TOMA||
|-
! colspan="7" |Engineering vehicle
|-
|MEMATT
!-
|
|Demining vehicle
|
|2
|
|-
! colspan="7" |Aircraft
|-
|Beechcraft Super King Air
|frameless|190x190px
|
|Light transport/
Reconnaissance aircraft
|B350ISR
|3
| rowspan="2" |3 B350ISR are leased.
Used by Gendarmerie Aviation Command
|1
|-
|AQUILA A212
|frameless|190x190px
|
|Light aircraft/Trainer aircraft
|A212
|1
|New variant in use.
|-
|TAI Hürkuş
|frameless|190x190px
|
|Light attack
|Hürkuş-C
|
|Planned acquisition.
|-
! colspan="7" | Helicopters
|- style="vertical-align:top"
| TAI/AgustaWestland T129 ATAK || 170px || <hr> || Attack helicopter||T-129B
| 16||23 in total planned.
|-style="vertical-align:top"
| rowspan="3" | Sikorsky-S70 Black Hawk|| rowspan="3" | frameless|170x170px
frameless|170x170px
| rowspan="3" | <hr> || rowspan="3" | Medium Transport/Utility helicopter||S-70A-D28
| 12
| Avionics upgraded by ASELSAN.
|-
|S-70i
|2
|
|-
|T-70
|5/33
|33 T-70 ordered.
|-
|TAI T625 Gökbey
|frameless|170x170px
|
|Light Transport/Utility Helicopter
|T625
|5
|It will replace UH-1 Huey helicopters.
|- style="vertical-align:top"
| UH-1 Huey || frameless|170x170px|| || Utility helicopter/Transport|| AB-205A
| 10|| Avionics upgraded by ASELSAN.
|-
| Mil Mi-17 || 170x170px|| || Transport/Utility helicopter|| Mi-17 IVA || 18
|-
! colspan="7" |Gyrocopter
|-
|Autogyro Cavalon
|frameless|172x172px
|
|Reconnaissance/Surveillance
|
|3
|6 more planned.
|-
!colspan="7" | Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
|-
|TAI Anka
|184x184px
| rowspan="6" |
| rowspan="3" |UCAV
|Anka S
|8
|Elazig Gendarmerie UAV command
|- style="vertical-align:top"
|Bayraktar TB2||frameless|185x185px|| TB2 || 18||
|- style="vertical-align: top;"
|Bayraktar Akınıcı
|frameless|187x187px
|
|3
|
|-
|STM KARGU
|frameless|185x185px
|Loitering munition
|Kargu-2
| rowspan="4" |N/A
|
|-
|Baykar Bayraktar Mini
|188x188px
|Miniature UAV
|C
|
|-
|UÇBEY
!-
|VTOL UAV
|
|
|-
|Black Hornet Nano
|frameless|181x181px
|
|Micro-UAV
|PD-100 Black Hornet
|
|}
Additional info : Gendarmerie also acquired 130 basic and 5 professional Micro UAV systems.
Planned acquisition : Planned acquisition of new liaison and utility aircraft.
Surface Combatant
{| class="wikitable"
|+
! colspan="5" |Boat
|-
!Name
!Origin
!Quantity
!Type
!Details
|-
|ASBOT KN-35
|
|10
|Security Boat
|ASBOT KN-35 boats were designed and developed by ASFAT A.Ş. for the units belonging to the Gendarmerie General Command.
|}
Retired/Reserve
Vehicles :
- Akrep - 250+
- Condor - 25
- BTR-60 - 180
- BTR-80 - 295
Aircraft :
- Cessna O-1E Bird Dog
- Dornier Do-28D
Helicopters :
- Bell 212
- Bell 206
Gallery
<gallery>
File:Turkish Jandarma 02.JPG|Gendarmerie's Ford Transit and a trooper
File:Renault Megane Jandarma squad car.JPG|Traffic gendarmerie's Renault Megane
File:Jandarma vehicle.JPG|Gendarmerie interceptor
File:Sivas Jandarma Kışlası (tarihî).jpg|Jandarma Barracks in Sivas built in 1908
File:Jandarma Müzesi.jpg|Gendarmerie museum
File:Jandarma also shares the road (3823879221).jpg|BTR-80 in the gendarmerie inventory
File:Soma mine disaster16.JPG|Gendarmerie Search and Rescue Battalion Command teams during Soma mine disaster
File:Bursa - ışıklar askeri lisesi giriş kapısı - panoramio.jpg|Işıklar Gendarmerie NCO Vocational School
File:Jandarma ve Sahil Güvenlik Akademisi.jpg|Gendarmerie and Coast Guard Academy
File:Jandarma Şehitler Anıtı 2.jpg|Gendarmerie Martyrs' Memorial
File:Kızılırmak Delta horse center.jpg|The Kızılırmak Delta is guarded by the mounted gendarme team
File:SikorskyS-70i TurkishGendarmerie Teknofest2019 (3).jpg|Sikorsky S-70i helicopter of the Turkish Gendarmerie
</gallery>
List of commanders
See also
- Constabulary
- Gendarmerie
- List of firefighting equipment of Turkey