Number of female officers in Turkish gendarmerie to increase by 10 percent

ISTANBUL

The number of female officers and non-commissioned officers in the Turkish Gendarmerie Command will be increased by 10 percent as part of a move to establish more balance between men and women in the command.

Starting from 2018, a minimum of 10 out of every 100 applicants to the gendarmerie will have to be women, upon the orders of Gendarmerie General Commander Gen. Arif Çetin’s, daily Milliyet reported on Dec. 18.

There are currently a total of 828 female soldiers, of whom 52 are officers and 776 are non-commissioned officers, amounting to just one percent of the Gendarmerie General Command. With the introduction of the new practice, the number could rise over 8,000.

According to the gendarmerie’s new directive, female officers will receive the same commando training as men and will be on the front line in many critical areas, including the struggle against terrorism.

Women will reportedly be taken to a camp for commando training and will receive heavy shooting and drill training before being assigned to Turkey’s east and southeast.

Female officers will be assigned to the aforementioned regions as soon as they start their duties and will be active against all illegal acts under harsh living and weather conditions.

One of the most significant duties of the female gendarmerie soldiers will be the struggle against terrorist groups.

According to Milliyet, the first gendarmerie commando division received its training in the Kaman district of the Central Anatolian province of Kırşehir and was assigned to positions determined by the command.