The failed coup in Turkey in 2016 is known to have been the trigger for extensive purges in the Turkish Armed Forces (AF) by Erdogan.
The pogrom of persecution of Gulenists in the TDF by the Erdogan regime after 2016
About 24,000 military personnel were dismissed-persecuted on the "charge" of Gulenist in the post-coup purge in Turkey, creating huge security gaps, which according to open source data were 150 Generals, 7600 officers and 16000 permanent non-commissioned officers and privates .
We recall that after the announcement of the coup crackdown, the Turkish government immediately launched a wide-ranging purge of not only the military, but also judges, police, teachers and other government officials that eventually led to the dismissal of more than 130,000 civil servants from their jobs.
The Turkish Air Force was hit hard after the loss of some 600 pilots who were dismissed or retired and many retired pilots were asked to return to service to fill the huge gap.
The Erdogan regime, through numerous recruitments of professional military personnel friendly to him, has tried to fill the "many gaps" in the chain of command of the TEDs at the lower ranks primarily.
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With regard to the "high echelons" it reached the point, in Army Corps where the Commander was a Lieutenant General, that due to lack of a Major General, Colonels who were not graduates of the Higher War College were promoted to Brigadier Generals.
Erdogan's "cleansing" of Kemalist officers and the discord it caused in the Turkish army
However, Erdogan used the coup as a pretext to staff the Turkish Armed Forces with Islamist Officers of his absolute trust, by clearing out Kemalist Officers in his annual military reviews in August since then.
This created an internal discord and rivalry between Islamist and Kemalist junior officers in the army, resulting in unprecedented incidents at the Turkish Infantry School in Tuzla with Kemalist Lieutenants threatening to hang their Islamist colleagues and the Army Police intervening.
Unprecedented incidents at the Turkish Infantry School between Kemalist and Islamist Officers
The Erdoganese newspaper YeniSafak, in an article, reports:
"Ümit Özdağ is involved in the case of the 'enthusiastic' lieutenants at the Tuzla Infantry School. Lieutenants, who describe their religious colleagues as 'sectarian and reactionary', say in their correspondence that 'Ümit Özdağ will solve the problem'.
Özdağ, who was the first to support them by appealing the night before saying: "The patriots were expelled", even though the administrative decision had not yet been taken.
It was found that the junta worshippers, who were insulting politicians, sects and communities under the mask of Kemalism, recording officers praying and raiding and beating their chambers, tried to contact Ümit Özdağ.
"The time will come and we will hang you all"!
Yeni Şafak received WhatsApp correspondence from enthusiastic lieutenants who described the officers who prayed at the Tuzla Infantry School as "sectarian-communists" and raided and beat their chambers.
The sergeants insulted the state authorities, particularly President Erdogan, and threatened the officers, whom they described as "cultists", to "hang them when the time comes", "cut them with swords" and "kill them".
The junta members shared a photo of President Erdogan with his hands behind his back in front of a photo of Atatürk and made reference by adding a photo of an armed person with his hands behind his back.
Again, sharing the news posted on a website known for its proximity to Ümit Özdağ, he mocked with the words "We know you are tired, Chief, but don't leave this umma without a shepherd."
In another message, she hurled curses at the late Nejmetin Erbakan and his family.
The handwritten checklist in the groups also caught the attention. The list lists the names of the trainee sergeants underneath each other, who are allegedly "cultured".
Lack of coherence - discontent and partisanship characterise the Turkish Armed Forces
Among the very, very negative consequences for the Turkish military created by the persecution of the Erdogan regime is the most basic of all, which is the lack of cohesion in the TDF, which is the cornerstone of the fighting capacity of a country's armed forces.
Turkish officers are divided into marginalized Kemalists, imprisoned or self-exiled Gulenists and thriving Islamists who, with their loyalty to the Erdogan regime as their main weapon, assume all the important command positions in the Turkish army which they command.
The Turkish army is not a national army, but a party army where meritocracy does not apply.
Such an army is doomed to defeat in any military confrontation.
Finally, as for what is skilfully cultivated by the Turkish media, that Turkish society is accustomed to human losses of its soldiers, we have to say that this is a myth and is proven by the fact that Turkey in its military operations in Syria, Libya, Nagorno Karabakh, put in the front line its mercenaries, assisted by professional soldiers and officers of its Special Forces.
Nowhere, nowhere, did it use conscripted soldiers on the front line, fearing Erdogan's fear of a general climate of popular discontent due to the casualties on the battlefields.
But this would not apply in the event of a military confrontation with Greece.
Let us keep the above in mind while talking with the Turks about a peaceful resolution of our differences, since the Turkish Armed Forces are more like a seeming giant with feet of clay.
