Top military council names Dalkıran air force chief, promotes dozens

ANKARA

Türkiye’s top military council on Aug. 4 approved a series of promotions and retirements among senior officers, appointing Rafet Dalkıran as the new commander of the Air Force.

Chaired by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, the Supreme Military Council decided to promote 25 generals and admirals to a higher rank and elevate 69 colonels to general or admiral ranks, with the decisions taking effect from Aug. 30, the Communications Directorate said.

The council also extended the service terms of 24 generals for one year and 530 colonels for two years, while two generals will retire due to reaching the mandatory age limit and 61 generals and admirals will retire because of a lack of available posts.

Navy Commander Ercüment Tatlıoğlu’s term was extended by one year, while Air Force Commander Ziya Cemal Kadıoğlu was retired. Dalkıran, who was serving as commander of the Combat Air Force, was appointed to replace him.

The number of generals and admirals in the Turkish Armed Forces will rise from 328 to 334 as of Aug. 30, according to the announcement.

“The new ranks and positions of the generals, admirals and colonels who have been promoted or whose terms have been extended are wished to be beneficial for our nation, state, armed forces and their families,” the Communications Directorate said.

“We thank the generals, admirals and colonels who will retire after completing their terms of service with great dedication and honor, and we wish them and their families happiness and well-being in the new phase of their lives.”

The meeting was attended by Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz, Justice Minister Akın Gürlek, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Interior Minister Mustafa Çiftçi, Defense Minister Yaşar Güler, Treasury and Finance Minister Mehmet Şimşek, Education Minister Yusuf Tekin, Chief of General Staff Selçuk Bayraktaroğlu, Land Forces Commander Metin Tokel, Tatlıoğlu and Kadıoğlu.

Erdoğan and council members visited Anıtkabir, the mausoleum of modern Türkiye founder Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, before the meeting.

“We hope that our Supreme Military Council meeting, which we are holding at a time when conflicts and tensions are increasing in our region, will bring good results for our country, nation and Turkish Armed Forces,” Erdoğan wrote in the visitor book.

“With its high discipline, superior sense of duty, commitment to the national will and increasing deterrent power, the Turkish Armed Forces continue to be a source of confidence for our nation in the challenging conjuncture we are going through.”