Special Forces Command (Turkey)

Turkish special forces group

Special Forces Command

Turkish: Özel Kuvvetler Komutanlığı

Badge of the Special Forces Command

Active| 1992–present[1]
Country|  Turkey
Branch| General Staff
Type| Special forces
Role| Unconventional warfare
Garrison/HQ| Ankara
Nickname(s)| Maroon Berets
Bordo Bereliler
Motto(s)| "The difficult we do immediately. The impossible takes a little longer."[2]
Beret|  Maroon (claret red)
March| Alay Marşı (Regiment March)
Engagements| Kurdish–Turkish conflict (1978–present)

* October 1992 Turkish incursion into northern Iraq
* Turkish army winter campaign of 1994–1995
* Operation Steel (1995)
* Operation Hammer (1997)
* Operation Dawn (1997)
* Operation Sun (2008)
* Turkey–Islamic State conflict
* Operation Martyr Yalçın (2015)
* PKK–Turkish conflict
* Operation Euphrates Shield
* Operation Olive Branch
* Operation Spring Shield
* Second Libyan Civil War (2020)
* Operation Claw-Lock

Commanders
Current
commander| Major General Ömer Ertuğrul Erbakan
Notable
commanders| Engin Alan
Zekai Aksakallı

Military unit

Patch

The Special Forces Command (Turkish: Özel Kuvvetler Komutanlığı — ÖKK) is a division of the Turkish Armed Forces, initially established as a brigade in 14 April 1992, operating directly under the Turkish General Staff.[3][4] According to the Turkish Armed Forces (TAF) dress code, the ÖKK, also known as the Bordo Bereliler, are noteworthy for their distinctive maroon berets.[5][6] Their task is to carry out special operations that exceed the capabilities of other military units.[7][8]

## History

[edit]

First established on 27 September 1952 as the Special and Auxiliary Combat Units, as a part of NATO's Operation Gladio, they did counterguerilla operations in North Korean territory during the Korean War.[9] In November 1953, re-established as the Mobilized Reconnaissance Board and were sent out to Cyprus for Long-range reconnaissance operations and arming and organizing the Turkish Resistance Organization.[10] On 14 December 1970, it was reorganized as the Special Warfare Department.[11] Due to the emergence of external dangers after the Gulf War and threats from the northern part of Iraq, the Special Forces Command was established as a brigade on 14 April 1992.[12] In 2006, the brigade transitioned to a division. ÖKK leadership was upgraded from major-general to lieutenant-general and the new division was split into the 1st and 2nd brigade with the expectation that the troop count would double from 7000 to 14,000 by 2009.[13] They ranked first among twenty-six special forces troops at the World Special Forces Championship held in Germany in 2004.[14][15]

In 1998, Turkey's special forces intercepted a warning intended for the PKK team in Iraq, infiltrated PKK operations and captured the commander of Kurdistan Democratic Party's (PKK) military forces, Şemdin Sakık.[16] In 1999, the Turkish Special Forces used technology given to them by the Netherlands to arrest Abdullah Öcalan, a founding member of the PKK, after he landed at the Nairobi airport in Kenya.[17] In 2014, after 49 consular employees were taken hostage by ISIS in Mosul, Special Forces Command carried out joint operations with MIT, the Turkish National Intelligence Organization, and rescued the hostages.[18] Special Forces Command took part in internal security operations during the 2015-2016 curfews in the Southeastern Anatolia Region,[19][20] Furthermore, on 21 February 2015 they participated in Operation Shah Euphrates to relocate the tomb of Suleyman Shah in Syria.[21] With the start of the operations in Syria against ISIS and PYD in 2016 during Operation Euphrates Shield, the Special Forces Command infiltrated the region and carried out exploration activities supported by the Free Syrian Army.[22] Special Forces Command also played a role in operations such as Operation Olive Branch,[23] Operation Claw (2019–2020),[24] Operation Peace Spring[25] and Operations Claw-Eagle and Tiger.[26]

Turkish SF Officers are constantly operating and are active in the war on the PKK in the southeastern border region of Turkey and northern Iraq.[27][28]

### Attempted coup d'état

[edit]

A key figure of the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt was brigadier general Semih Terzi, who was Deputy Commander of the Special Forces at the time and the highest-ranking field commander during the coup attempt. He led a team of roughly 40 special forces operatives in an attempt to secure Special Forces Headquarters and organize attacks against government agencies and the parliament. The attempt ended in failure when ÖKK Senior Sergeant major Ömer Halisdemir shot and killed Terzi, disrupting the command of the rebels.[29][30]

## Organization

[edit]

The Special Forces are not aligned to any of the three branches of the TAF. They receive orders directly from the General Staff of the Republic of Turkey.[31]

* 1st Special Forces Brigade
* 2nd Special Forces Brigade
* 3rd Special Forces Brigade
* 4th Special Forces Brigade[32]
* 5th Special Forces Brigade[33]
* Special Aviation Group
* Combat Search and Rescue[34]
* Natural Disaster Search and Rescue[35]
* School Command[36]
* Support Troops Command[37]
* Mobilization Inspection Board[38]
* Special Protection Unit

### Special Aviation Group

[edit]

Special Aviation Group provides helicopter support for the Command's missions. The helicopters were modernized in 2015 and can operate at night or during the day.[39][40]

## Training and recruitment

[edit]

ÖKK recruits officers, NCOs and SNCOs almost exclusively from the Land Forces Command, Turkey's army branch. Volunteers must pass written and physical exams, and linguistic skills in at least one foreign language are beneficial toward admission.[41]

The ÖKK training period lasts around 3.5-5 years, and encompasses: unconventional warfare and various special warfare types, special operations, special reconnaissance and infiltration, covert operations, psychological warfare, underwater operation, static parachute and HALO (night and day jump), counter-terrorism in residential areas, close-quarters combat, resisting torture and interrogation techniques, ambush, raid, sabotage, escape, VIP protection, marksmanship, intelligence, languages, survival, operation in deep snow, extreme weather, bomb disposal, demolition, fire arrangement, damage detection, and TCCC.[41]

Recruits must undergo:

* Domestic training (72 weeks)
* International training (10 to 52 weeks, depending on rank)
* Specialty training

After graduating from Special Operations Training, commandos are tested before they officially become Maroon Beret officers. They are expected to survive in all environmental conditions, so as part of the final testing stage teams of recruits are left in different environments for two weeks, with no equipment or help.

On the last month of training, called the "hell month", Maroon Berets receive training in interrogation and torture, and undertake a Trust Shot (Turkish: Güven Atışı) exercise. In this exercise, two members of a squad have to flank paper target boards while the third advances from 15 m (49 ft) and shoots at the targets with live ammunition. Those flanking the targets are not permitted to move or wear body armor.[42]

## Equipment

[edit]

Maroon Berets

Pistols | HK USP, SIG P226, SIG P229, Sarsilmaz Kilinc 2000 Mega, Sarsilmaz Kilinc 2000 Light, Glock 17, Glock 19
Shotguns | Benelli M4 Super 90
Assault rifles | CAR-15, Heckler & Koch HK416, M4A1, IWI Tavor TAR-21, MAR 556
Submachine guns | HK MP5, MP7A1, FN P90
Sniper rifles | KNT-308, Sako TRG, CheyTac Intervention, Barrett M82, Accuracy International Arctic Warfare, MKEK JNG-90, M110, McMillan Tac-50, Remington MSR & Accuracy International AX50, KNT-76

Source:[43]

## See also

[edit]

* List of military special forces units

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Uslu, Emrullah (10 July 2008). "Tackling the PKK: New Directions for Turkey's Special Forces". Terrorism Monitor. VI (14). Jamestown Foundation: 9–11\. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016.
2. ^ "TSK'nin gözbebeği Özel Kuvvetler". Hürriyet. 13 April 1999. Retrieved 16 April 2020.
3. ^ "Bordo Bereliler Kimdir?". 15 June 2017. Archived from the original on 6 June 2020. Retrieved 19 May 2020.
4. ^ "Siyah ve beyaz kuvvet açıklaması". www.aa.com.tr. Retrieved 15 August 2022.
5. ^ "Özel Kuvvetler Komutanlığı Tanıtım Videosu". YouTube. 12 January 2018. Archived from the original on 18 December 2021.
6. ^ "TSK'da yeni bir dönem başladı". www.aa.com.tr.
7. ^ "Bordo bereliler sınırda". www.sozcu.com.tr. 23 July 2015.
8. ^ "Onlar TSK'nın bel kemiği". Sabah (in Turkish). Retrieved 19 June 2023.
9. ^ "Genelkurmay, Siyah Kuvvetler-Beyaz Kuvvetleri anlattı".
10. ^ "Türkiye'yi Atlantik'e bu adımlarla zincirlediler". 14 June 2023.
11. ^ "Genelkurmay 'yok' denilen özel kuvvetleri ayrıntılarıyla anlattı". Agos. 4 March 2013.
12. ^ "Siyah ve beyaz kuvvet açıklaması". www.aa.com.tr.
13. ^ "Tackling the PKK: New Directions for Turkey's Special Forces". Jamestown. Retrieved 15 August 2022.
14. ^ "Bordo Bereliler'in zaferi". www.hurriyet.com.tr. 22 June 2004.
15. ^ Atik, Merve (2 February 2021). "Almanya'da 2014'te yapılan özel kuvvetler yarışmasında bordo berelilerin birinci geldiği iddiası". Teyit. Archived from the original on 19 September 2024. Retrieved 19 September 2024. "Yarışmalarda Türkiye'nin dereceye girdiğini, 2004'te düzenlenen yarışmada Özel Kuvvetler Komutanlığı'na bağlı timlerin yarışmaya katılan 26 ekip arasında bir birincilik ve bir de dördüncülük elde ettiğini görüyoruz." [We see that Turkey ranked in the competitions, and in the competition held in 2004, teams affiliated with the Special Forces Command won first place and fourth place among 26 teams participating in the competition.]
16. ^ "'Bordo Bereliler' Diyarbakır'da". 11 September 2012.
17. ^ "Terörist başının Kenya'da paketlenip Türkiye'ye getirilmesinin üzerinden 21 yıl geçti". www.aa.com.tr.
18. ^ "İşte nefes kesen operasyonun perde arkası". Sabah.
19. ^ "Bordo Bereliler Sur'da". Milliyet (in Turkish). 18 January 2016. Retrieved 11 June 2021.
20. ^ "Sur'da Özel Kuvvetler Komutanlığı Timinin İçinde Bulunduğu Eski Bina Çöktü". Haberler.com (in Turkish). 19 February 2016. Retrieved 11 June 2021.
21. ^ "Özel kuvvetler ŞAHlandı". takvim.com.tr (in Turkish). 24 February 2015. Retrieved 11 June 2021.
22. ^ "Özel kuvvetler Suriye'de sıcak çatışmada ilk kez görüntülendi!". 27 September 2016.
23. ^ "Afrin harekatı 58. gününde... Özel Kuvvetler ve ÖSO Afrin'de kontrolü sağladı". www.cumhuriyet.com.tr (in Turkish). 18 March 2018. Retrieved 11 June 2021.
24. ^ "Metina'ya kara harekatı başlatıldı! Özel kuvvetler bölgeye indirildi... | GAZETE VATAN". www.gazetevatan.com. 24 April 2021. Retrieved 11 June 2021.
25. ^ "Türk özel kuvvetleri orada! AP dünyaya geçti". Milliyet (in Turkish). 15 October 2019. Retrieved 11 June 2021.
26. ^ "75 km genişlikteki arazide 9 odalı mağarada operasyon". www.trthaber.com (in Turkish). 14 February 2021. Retrieved 11 June 2021.
27. ^ "Hassas bölgelere Özel Kuvvetler". 30 November 2014.
28. ^ "Türkiye'nin de katıldığı 'Yenilmez Nöbetçi Tatbikatı' Katar'da başladı". www.trthaber.com. 8 March 2020.
29. ^ Ankara, Dion Nissenbaum in Istanbul, Adam Entous in Washington and Emre Peker in (18 July 2016). "Turkish President Foiled Coup With Luck, Tech Savvy". Wall Street Journal - via www.wsj.com.`{{cite news}}`: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
30. ^ "Trial begins for murder of Turkish commando who stopped coup attempt". Archived from the original on 2 February 2018. Retrieved 1 February 2018.
31. ^ "Onlar TSK'nın bel kemiği - Sayfa 8 Sabah - Fotohaber - Gündem - 05 Eylül 2015 Cumartesi". sabah.com.tr. Archived from the original on 6 October 2015. Retrieved 5 September 2015.
32. ^ "Üç orduya kor seviyesinde atama". CNN TÜRK (in Turkish). 23 August 2019. Retrieved 19 June 2023.
33. ^ Bordo bereliler, 7 April 2021, retrieved 23 January 2024
34. ^ Combat Search and Rescue, MAK. Facebook https://www.facebook.com/AskerTV/photos/a.10155258544104196/10155258544149196/?type=3&mibextid=rS40aB7S9Ucbxw6v. `{{cite web}}`: Missing or empty `|title=` (help)
35. ^ Natural Disaster Search and Rescue, DAK. Facebook https://www.facebook.com/AskerTV/photos/a.10155258544104196/10155258544149196/?type=3&mibextid=rS40aB7S9Ucbxw6v. `{{cite web}}`: Missing or empty `|title=` (help)
36. ^ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/AskerTV/photos/a.10155258544104196/10155258544319196/?type=3&mibextid=rS40aB7S9Ucbxw6v. `{{cite web}}`: Missing or empty `|title=` (help)
37. ^ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/AskerTV/photos/a.10155258544104196/10155258544144196/?type=3&mibextid=rS40aB7S9Ucbxw6v. `{{cite web}}`: Missing or empty `|title=` (help)
38. ^ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/AskerTV/photos/a.10155258544104196/10155258544204196/?type=3&mibextid=rS40aB7S9Ucbxw6v. `{{cite web}}`: Missing or empty `|title=` (help)
39. ^ "HELICOPTER AVIONICS MODERNIZATION - Turkish Aerospace Industries, Inc". tai.com.tr. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 5 September 2015.
40. ^ "Türkiye'nin yeni Karaşahini: T-70 Helikopteri". kokpit.aero. Archived from the original on 5 May 2015. Retrieved 5 September 2015.
41. ^ a b "Turkey - Special Forces Command, General Staff Headquarters (Ozel Kuvvetler Komutanligi - O.K.K.)".
42. ^ "TSK: Öyle bir atış şekli yok, 'güven atışı' var - Hürriyet Gündem". hurriyet.com.tr. 17 February 2011. Retrieved 5 September 2015.
43. ^ "Bordo Bereliler: The difficult we do immediately, the impossible takes a little longer". 6 October 2012. Retrieved 11 June 2021.

## Further reading

[edit]

Media related to Özel Kuvvetler Komutanlığı at Wikimedia Commons

* Lale Sariibrahimoglu, 'Live-fire exercises shine spotlight on Turkey's special forces,' Jane's Defence Weekly, 7 January 2004

* v
* t
* e

Special forces of the Turkish Armed Forces

Turkish Armed Forces|

* Special Forces

Turkish Naval Forces|

* Underwater Defence
* Underwater Offence

Turkish Air Force|

* Combat Search and Rescue

Turkish Gendarmerie|

* Gendarmerie Special Public Security Command
* Gendarmerie Special Operations

Turkish Coast Guard|

* Maritime Search and Security Operations Team

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