Sledgehammer And Turkish Navy

Last week 10^th High Criminal court of Istanbul issued arrest warrants for 163 officers of Turkish Armed forces in connection with the Balyoz (Sledgehammer) case.

106 of the officers, arrested, are currently serving in the armed forces. Some of them were arrested last year again in connection with the Balyoz case but later they were released as the court decided it was not necessary for their imprisonment during the case.

So what has changed? Why are these officers arrested some for the second time. Well in December last year, after an anonymous tip off the police found some documents alleged to be related to the planed military coup the arrested officers are accused of.

There are many inconsistencies and gross mistakes in the first set of the documents on which the case whole case is build upon.

Whether the arrested officers are really guilty in planning a military coup or that the whole case is just a very big scaled hoax will be determined during the trial.

Out of the 106 active duty officers arrested, 31 are generals or admirals. There are 301 generals and admirals in the Turkish armed forces. Thus every one out of ten general/admiral is behind bars at the moment and some them were destined to go higher. But the Balyoz case put all these carefully laid plans in jeopardy.

According to the Personnel Law of the Turkish Armed Forces an active officer who is on a trial cannot be promoted to a higher rank before the case has ended. It means that the 106 active duty officers now under arrest will not get any promotions before the Balyoz case is finished, even if they are released from the prison during the case. 

What does it mean? It means that the whole promotion system evolved in the Turkish Armed Forces is in disarray at the moment. Like in all other armed forces with longs standing traditions around world the promotions of the officers especially those in flag positions are carefully arranged and there are certain key positions on the road to the top.

What worries me is a trial of just magnitude will take at least a couple of years until a verdict can be reached. Some analyst predict that the Balyoz case may continue 3 to 5 years and this estimate does not include the period needed for the appeal to to the higher court. Alone the reading of the indictment lasted 13 court sessions. Now given the estimated length of the trials these officers will not get any promotions for the next 3 to 5 years at least.

The situation is especially dire for the Turkish Navy. 11 admirals are in imprisonment at the moment. Among them are commander of the Northern Sea Area and commander of Southern Sea Area. A quick glance to the organizational chart of the Turkish Navy will reveal that these two are among top 4 commands in the navy. And it is a tradition that the Commander of the Northern Sea Area is promoted unless he messes up big time to be the Commander of the Fleet. And the Commander of the Fleet is actually a Commander of Turkish Naval Forces in waiting.

Among the imprisoned admirals are: Commander of Submarine Group Command, Commander of the Plans and Policy Department, chief of Staff of the Fleet Command, Deputy Commander of Navy Personnel Department, Commander of Southern Task Force.  All important and key commands for the navy.

The Balyoz case did not only put the traditional and carefully planned promotion scheme build on hard work and loyalty in disarray, it also has created enough diversion and distracted all services from their primary duty of national defence as many of the top brass was busy with their personal self defence.

Sun Tzu said: For to win one hundred victories in one hundred battles is not the acme of skill. To subdue the enemy without fighting is the acme of skill.


The enemies of Turkish Navy are having a field day without the doubt.