Countries Where Turkey Has Soldiers; National Defense and Proactive Independent Foreign Policy 

25.08.2020 / İSTANBUL

The Republic of Turkey, from 1923 to the present, is an important power in its geography and region, at a level it has never been before; It is taking very important steps towards becoming a rising playmaker state on a global scale. Especially since 2003, it has been rising every year, despite being exposed to global economic crises and financial operations of imperial states.

While the global power centers are threatening to prevent other authorized civil and military bureaucrats, especially the President of the Republic, who work hard for their country; On the other hand, they aimed to covertly and openly support some opposition parties which are under their control, weakening the state with their help, and thus overthrowing the governments working in the interests of the Turkish nation, which did not act in accordance with the interests of the globalists. Despite all this, Turkey extends a helping hand to the oppressed and aggrieved Muslim nations, and even increases its efforts and moves to create a peace for all humanity, regardless of ethnic or religious affiliation, and a solution to problems.

Within the scope of these efforts, our country has been saved by national and local governments from the evil called interest of the World Bank and IMF (International Monetary Fund), which operates for the financial exploitation of their weakened or collapsed countries, established by global power centers. Efforts are being made to use more and more equity capital in investments.

The Republic of Turkey, in order to protect the borders of its Motherland in recent years from the attacks of the imperialist states at home and abroad by terrorist organizations under the control; It has adopted the “protection strategy”, in other words, the concept of “preventive strike”, which envisages the destruction of the threat outside the homeland before it infiltrates the borders. The requirement of this concept is to destroy the terrorist nests in the country with the security forces affiliated to the Ministry of Interior, and to destroy the members of the organization 30-40 km outside our borders, in coordination, from afar, without giving them the opportunity to enter our territory with Land, Air and Naval units. In this low-intensity struggle, close cooperation and coordination is carried out between the Turkish Armed Forces and our MIT units, which have been reorganized and gained operational capability in recent years.

Turkey has declared its determination to protect our seas and our national survival beneath it, to the whole world, under the name of “BLUE HOMELAND”, in accordance with the internationally accepted definition of the Terrestrial Waters, Continental Shelf and Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).

In addition, in order to control the “Strategic Geographical Regions and Points” in the field of influence and interest by guaranteeing their national interests; By keeping military power in the lands and seas of friendly and allied states, it secures its homeland from close and medium distances with a strategic understanding, and also ensures that the country it has soldiers is spared as a friend and ally.

Security line of Turkey (Anatolia and Blue Homeland) starts;

• In the Northwest, from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Hungary, Albania, and Romania,
• In the West, from the strait between Libya and Malta, from Tunisia,
• In the Southwest from Libya and Egypt,
• In the North, from Crimea and Ukraine,
• In the Northeast; from Caucasus and Kazakhstan,
• In the East from Afghanistan and the Caspian Sea coasts and Iran,
• In the South from Sudan, Somalia, Ethiopia and Bab al-Mandab Strait and Gulf of Aden;
• In the Southeast, from Strait of Hormuz with Oman and Qatar.

If this strategy is implemented, it is always possible to see a Turkey that is strong in its region and that is gradually increasing its influence on a global scale, assuring its existence and survival.

From this point of view, let's take a look at the state of military power that the Turkish state has in its sphere of influence and interest, and how many soldiers it has in which friendly and allied countries:

In which country, how many soldiers does Turkey have, and for what reasons?

For the security and peace of Turkey's homeland and blue homeland, the friendly and allied countries and their numbers are as follows:

1. 40,000 Soldiers in TRNC

Since the Cyprus Peace Operation launched by Turkey in 1974, it has a military presence in the north of the island, which constitutes approximately 40% of the island. It is estimated that the number of Turkish soldiers in Cyprus is around 40 thousand, that is, at the level of a Corps (TRNC Peace Forces Command). The Turkish military unit in Cyprus has the status of a permanent military unit directly reporting to the General Staff.

2. 2,000 Soldiers in Somalia

The TAF military takes on two duties in Somalia:

1. The first is the Somalia Turkish Task Force Command in the capital Mogadishu. The base was opened by the then-Chief of Staff Hulusi Akar in September 2017 and trains officers for the Somalian army as a military training center. This command has graduated dozens of officers and non-commissioned officers so far.
2. The second area of responsibility of the TAF soldiers is the Gulf of Aden, the territorial waters and offshores of Somalia, the Arabian Sea and adjacent regions. The Turkish military is deployed in this region to “support international efforts to effectively maintain the safety of Turkish-flagged and Turkish-bound commercial ships and to jointly combat the acts of piracy/naval burglary and armed robbery carried out by the international community.”

3. 5,000 – 7,000 Soldiers in Syria

After the civil war started in Syria in 2011, Turkey carried out many operations in Syria. Turkey continues to control a large area in Syria close to its borders, during the recent Operation Peace Spring and during the battles within the scope of keeping the Idlib De-escalation and Observation Points line. It is estimated that there are thousands of Turkish soldiers in Syria along the 911 km border (excluding the Manbij region) and on the strip extending to the depth of 27-32 km to the south of it.   (Military shipments continued after the tensions in Idlib, so the number is estimated to have reached up to 7,000 soldiers.)

The presence of soldiers in Iraq and Syria is justified as follows, according to the records of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey:

“To take all necessary measures within the framework of international law against the terrorist threat and all kinds of security risks against Turkey's national security, to prevent attacks that may be directed against our country by all terrorist organizations in Iraq and Syria, and to ensure the maintenance of our national security against other possible risks such as mass migration.”

4. 2,500 Soldiers in Iraq

While Turkey carries out military operations in Iraq as needed, within the scope of the “fight against the PKK”, it also has military bases in various cities in Iraq. The most prominent of these is Bashiqa Base, which sometimes causes controversy. The location and size of other bases in Iraq are not disclosed due to “security” reasons.

5. 400 Soldiers in Kosovo

The International Peacekeeping Force in Kosovo has been carried out in line with the decision of the UN Security Council since 1999. In the KFOR Operation, Turkey assigns personnel to the staffs allocated to it. The main task of the Turkish military in Kosovo is to establish a “secure environment”, to develop cooperation with local and international organizations and to support the development of the Kosovo Security Force.

6. 300 Soldiers in Qatar

After the sanctions imposed on Qatar by the Gulf countries led by Saudi Arabia, soldiers were deployed to Qatar in 2017. Turkey has established a military base in Qatar. The deployment of troops to Qatar was initiated by the Turkish Grand National Assembly, with the adoption of the “Implementation Agreement between Turkey and Qatar on the Deployment of Turkish Forces in Qatari Territories” as Law No. 7023 on June 7, 2017. The authority to keep military forces in Qatar for how long is up to the government's decision by law. Except for the MHP, the opposition parties opposed this agreement. The military force of TAF in Qatar is deployed in the Tariq ibn Ziyad Barracks in the capital, Doha. It was stated that a second base was built in August 2019, and in this way, the TAF will increase its military presence in this country.

7. 250 Soldiers in Bosnia and Herzegovina

The Turkish military was sent as the International Peacekeeping Force in Bosnia and Herzegovina, claiming that “peace and stability” would be ensured in this country.  The duty of the Turkish soldiers under the Presidency of Bosnia-Herzegovina Turkish Representative Delegation was stated as “to maintain the atmosphere of peace and security, to develop cooperation with local and international organizations, to support the international civilian presence and to provide training support to the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina”.

8. 100 Soldiers in Lebanon

The Turkish military is serving in Lebanon as part of the United Nations Interim Task Force (UNIFIL). Turkey has been supporting UNIFIL for more than 10 years. The number of Turkish soldiers in this country is around 100.

9. 100 – 200 Soldiers in Azerbaijan

The Turkish Armed Forces is training Azerbaijani soldiers and there are close relations between the two countries, but the Turkish military base in Azerbaijan is seen as a highly controversial issue. With a protocol signed in 2016, some buildings in the Gizil Sherg Garrison in Baku and a terminal located in Nasosnaya Air Base in Sumgait city were allocated for the use of the TAF. However, after the news that a base was given to Turkey appeared in the media, Azerbaijani authorities denied these allegations. Finally, on 12 July 2020, after the clashes between Armenia and the border troops passing near the town of Tovuz in Azerbaijan, some technical and combat elements were sent by Turkey. It is thought that the number of Turkish soldiers in this friendly and brotherly country has exceeded 200. 

10. 24 Soldiers in Albania

Established in 1997 within the scope of defense cooperation, the base is located in the city of Vlorë on the Adriatic coast and is located on 20 decares of land in Pasha Port, which also serves the Albanian Navy. The base operates under the name of Naval Forces Command Albania Team Presidency. It is estimated that around 20 soldiers are on duty at the base, whose number of personnel increased to 250 at once.

11. 35 – 100 Turkish Soldiers in Libya

Decision to keep Turkish soldiers in Libya in order to prevent the purpose of ex-general Khalifa Haftar, who is a puppet of the West, to destroy the legitimate Libyan Government and to sell Libyan assets to the West; On January 2, 2020, in the General Assembly of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, it was accepted by the majority of votes of the AKP and MHP, despite the opposition of CHP, IYI Party, HDP, Saadet Party, and Democrat Party. President Erdoğan was given the authority to deploy the TAF in Libya for a period of one year, following the resolution of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey No. 1238. The exact number of Turkish soldiers sent to Libya is not known. However, it is estimated that there are between 35 and 100 soldiers providing military consultancy and technical support services to the UN-recognized Libyan GNA Army. In addition to these, it is in question to support the Libyan GNA army with some UAVs and UCAVs, and Kirpi-type armored vehicles. Turkey is trying to neutralize the coup-plotter General Khalifa Haftar and his group in order to permanently establish peace in Libya and end the bloodshed. It aims to fulfill the requirements of the “Agreement on the Limitation of Maritime Jurisdiction and EEZ” signed with the Libyan GNA in November 2019 and to protect its national interests.

COUNTRIES WHERE TURKEY HAS SOLDIERS

Other countries where Turkey has an uncertain or small number of soldiers under the United Nations Mission

1. 17 Soldiers in the Democratic Republic of Congo
2. in Mali; A small number of Turkish soldiers are serving within the scope of the “UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission (MINUSMA)”.
3. Turkey also supports the “UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission” in the Central African Republic. There is no information on the number of soldiers in these two African countries, but it is estimated that it is not very large.

Turkey's military relations with the Republic of Sudan

Relations between Turkey and Sudan took a further step when President Recep Tayyip Erdogan requested Suakin Island in the north of the country during his visit to Sudan in December 2017 and Omar al-Bashir accepted it. Suakin Island was allocated to Turkey for 99 years. Even the fact that Sudan is the “Gate to Hadj” for African Muslims and the tender for the restoration and modernization of the old and abandoned accommodation facilities on the island from the time of the Ottoman Empire was awarded to a large Turkish construction company; Suakin Island seems to have lost its importance after President Omar al-Bashir, who was dismissed by the 2019 April Military Coup, which was openly and secretly encouraged by the UAE and Saudi Arabia, which are the extensions of the global powers in Africa, who had the delusion that they would lose control over Sudan to Turkey. These two countries were concerned that Turkey would establish a military base in Suakin, just like in Somalia, and control the Bab al-Mandab Strait and the middle region of the Red Sea, and Yemen and the Gulf of Aden region. In fact, it can be easily said that the countries that are concerned about this are Israel, Egypt and Saudi Arabia; and the USA, France, England and Russia just like them.

The news that Turkey will establish a military base here was met with reaction in the Arabic world. While all the discussions are summarized in the report of the Stockholm International Peace and Research Institute (SIPRI), the African map in the document shows that Turkey has a base in Suakin. 

TURKEY MADE FOUR MORE STRATEGIC MOVEMENTS IN JULY 2020

Our state also signs military and economic cooperation agreements with some other countries within its sphere of influence and interest, in order to strengthen the strategic security of its survival as I mentioned above.

Turkey has made 4 more strategic moves after its success in the Eastern Mediterranean and Libya. In a month, mutually critical steps were taken with Oman, Niger, Ethiopia and Albania.

• A “Military Training Cooperation Agreement” was signed with Libya's neighbor Niger from the south.
• Intensive contacts were established with Oman, the neighbor of the UAE and the important country of the Gulf. 
• Ethiopia, which has problems with Egypt, asked for support from Turkey. 
• A financial and military cooperation protocol was signed with Greece's neighbor Albania.

Within the scope of its proactive foreign policy strategy, Turkey continues to make remarkable moves in the military, political and diplomatic fields in Africa, the Middle East and the Balkans.

Turkey, which recently broke the containment strategy of the evil alliance formed by the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Greece, Israel, France, Israel and Egypt, and the steps it took on the field and at the table; with the initiatives it has implemented in four critical regions in the last month, it has begun to consolidate its role as a regional power and playmaker. Within the framework of President Erdogan's strong leadership and strategic vision; the foundations of strong political, economic and military cooperation were laid with Niger, the heart of the Sahel, the key country of the Strait of Hormuz and the neighbor of the UAE, Oman, Albania, one of the key countries of stability in the Balkans, and Ethiopia, the rising power of East Africa. Thanks of the Mufti of Oman, Ahmed bin Hamad al-Khalili, on the occasion of Hagia Sophia's being a mosque again after 86 years, and the celebration in his country revealed the changing balance in the region.

Oman and Qatar took important steps to strengthen relations

The calm power of the Gulf region in a reaction nature statement rising from Oman; "After being deprived of the sound of the call to prayer from its minarets and the bowing and prostration in its altar, and after mourning for it for almost a century, we thank the whole Islamic world, who rejoice and celebrate the return of Hagia Sophia to Islam.” were given a clear answer against the statements made by the UAE, Saudi Arabian and Egypt administrations, which targets the bringing the Hagia Sophia Mosque to its real identity.

The support from Oman to Turkey against the Gulf gang was the message of rapprochement between the two countries. Immediately after the message of the mufti of Oman, diplomatic contacts between Muscat and Ankara intensified. In the message of the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, it was stated that “Political views were exchanged by video conference method between Ambassador Sedat Önal, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Seyyid Bedr, Secretary General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Oman.” Just one day before the meeting, the Oman administration terminated the operations of the UAE-based DAMAC company, which carries out a strategic project in the port of Sultan Qaboos, and expelled it from the country.

With the efforts of Turkish diplomats, Oman Sultan Haitham bin Tariq, Qatar Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, it was decided to develop and strengthen the relations between the two countries in a way that would serve the interests of the two brotherly peoples.

Four Critical Agreements with Niger

In July 2020, Turkey took remarkable steps with Niger, the key country of the Sahel region in Africa, and also Libya's neighbor from the south. Between the two countries:

1. Four critical agreements were signed: “Material Delivery Protocol”,
2. “Cash Aid Implementation Protocol”,
3. “Military Training Cooperation Agreement”,
4. “Youth and Sports Cooperation Agreement”.

From the signatories, Turkish President Erdogan met with Niger President Mahamadou Issoufou, and cooperation decisions were taken to improve relations between the two countries.  The meeting between the presidents showed that the strategic cooperation between the two countries became stronger. It was stated in the African media that Turkey is preparing to take similar steps with another southern neighbor of Libya, Chad.

Military Cooperation with Turkey Approved by Albanian Parliament

Turkey continues to take steps that will improve stability and peace not only in the Middle East and Africa, but also in the Balkans.

In this context, the Albanian Parliament, the neighbor of Greece and the key country of the Balkans, approved the financial and military cooperation agreement signed with Turkey and the implementation protocol regarding financial aid. With the protocol reinforcing the strategic partnership relationship, the principles regarding the provision of financial assistance to Albania from companies and parties with 100% domestic production in Turkey at the point of purchasing services for military purposes were determined.  It is noteworthy that Turkey will support the strengthening of the Albanian armed forces in the region with its developing defense industry.

New Partner in Horn of Africa

• An important step was taken in relations with Ethiopia, the rising country of the Horn of Africa. Former President Mulatu Teshome Wirtu, the special representative of the Ethiopian Prime Minister, visited Ankara during the tension over the Nile between his country and Egypt.
• During the meeting with Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu at the ministry and new trade and investment opportunities between the two countries were discussed, Wirtu offered Turkey to act as a mediator at the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam node.
• Having a strategic alliance with Somalia in the Horn of Africa, Turkey's development of a similar relationship with Ethiopia is a clear message to the activities of unstable states such as the UAE and Egypt.

As a result;

• With the aim of weakening or destroying our state, with an unprecedented degree and intensity in history, with economic weakening and bloody or bloodless coup organizations and efforts to collapse it, assassinations, bomb traps and detonations in which innocent people were killed; a total effort has been made for more than 30 years in order to prevent this rise of Turkey with the help of terrorist organizations that have been given the task of subcontracting. Power centers in Turkey that cannot tolerate the change of government in a natural process with the ballot box, providing technological support to opposition parties (including remote cyber-intervention in election counting software), perception operation support especially for young voters, with lies and slanders on social media; they attempted to try “post-modern” versions of coups with an artificial orientation in the elections, and I think they will attempt to attract more dirty and covert operations of this kind in the near future.
• Concerned about this new proactive national defense and foreign policy of our state and its growing strength, all hostile states are trying to prevent it by organizing various traps, by putting some pawn states on us, by means of organizations under the control of western great states.
• Some parties led by the main opposition in Turkey (which works almost like a domestic representation of the imperial states) are uncomfortable with this new security strategy of Turkey. They are harming our national independent foreign and national defense policies with discourses such as “What are we doing in Libya? What are we doing in Syria” etc.
• As a manifestation of the same view, the “mankurt” puppet dictator leaders of some (so-called Muslim) Arab countries, who are not disturbed by the military presence of foreign powers in the Middle East, are not ashamed to share the same understanding. They oppose Turkey's counter-terrorism operations using its right of self-defense.
• Every member of our nation needs to know that some Western NATO countries, of which we are members, such as the USA, France and England, are preventing us, let alone supporting the fight against terrorism.

In short; in view of the statements above;

• Countries that have carried out massacres, bloody coups and colonial practices in the Middle East and African countries for years are now seen starkly and everything is now clear to see.
• If the 320 billion cubic meters of natural gas deposits in the SAKARYA-1 field in the Black Sea region, announced by the President on August 21, 2020, will add new hydrocarbon deposits with a higher capacity, it will further increase its economic attractiveness.
• The oppressed and aggrieved countries in our region have offered their assistance to the oppressed nations longing for justice, peace and prosperity, thanks to the great self-confidence, courage and attraction created by Turkey's national military power; On its way to becoming a shining star of the 21st century, it is steadily advancing towards its “Red Apple”, the path of Islam. By Allah's leave, a heroic representative of justice and humanity for the oppressed nations in this final era in which the world has come, will be the last triumph of Islam.

That’s it…  

Ali COŞAR

ASSAM Strategy and Security Specialist