Northern Cyprus Republic Day parade 2007 2

The Security Forces Command () is the military and security force of the unrecognized

Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus Northern Cyprus, officially the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), is a '' de facto'' state that comprises the northeastern portion of the island of Cyprus. It is recognised only by Turkey, and its territory is considered by all o ...

. It is a 15,000 strong force primarily made up of conscripted

Turkish Cypriot Turkish Cypriots or Cypriot Turks ( or ; ) are so called ethnic Turks originating from Cyprus. Turkish Cypriots are mainly Sunni Muslims. Following the Ottoman conquest of the island in 1571, about 30,000 Turkish settlers were given land onc ...

males between the ages of 18 and 40. It is a

combined arms Combined arms is an approach to warfare that seeks to integrate different combat arms of a military to achieve mutually complementary effects—for example, using infantry and armoured warfare, armour in an Urban warfare, urban environment in ...

force, with land, air and naval arms, plus police and fire elements. This force is supplemented by the 17,500–30,000 strong Turkish Military Forces in Northern Cyprus stationed on the island.

History

The Republic of Cyprus' constitution provided for a bi-communal army (i.e. Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot) on a 60/40 per cent basis. The Cyprus army composed by both main Cypriot ethnic groups was created in 1960 yet was dismantled in the scope of the interethnic conflict 1963-4. Since then, both communities have maintained their independent armed forces. Even before independence, the Turkish Cypriot community (and similarly the Greek Cypriot community) maintained its own paramilitary force (the Türk Mukavemet Teşkilatı or TMT), trained and equipped by the

Turkish Army The Turkish Land Forces () is the main branch of the Turkish Armed Forces responsible for Army, land-based military operations. The army was formed on November 8, 1920, after the collapse of the Ottoman Empire. Significant campaigns since the ...

(ibid). In 1967 this force was renamed the Mücahit ("

Mujahideen ''Mujahideen'', or ''Mujahidin'' (), is the plural form of ''mujahid'' (), an Arabic term that broadly refers to people who engage in ''jihad'' (), interpreted in a jurisprudence of Islam as the fight on behalf of God, religion or the commun ...

"), and in 1975 the Mücahit was renamed the Turkish Cypriot Security Force. In 1974, Turkey led an invasion of Cyprus with the aim of protecting the Turkish minority population after a Greek-inspired coup brought a threat of union of the island with Greece. Since then there have been no major fighting in Cyprus and the island continues to be divided.

Organization

The Turkish Cypriot Security Force is under the command of an officer of the Turkish Army. The officer is appointed by the

Turkish Armed Forces The Turkish Armed Forces (TAF; , TSK) are the armed forces, military forces of the Turkey, Republic of Turkey. The TAF consist of the Turkish Army, Land Forces, the Turkish Navy, Naval Forces and the Turkish Air Force, Air Forces. The Chief of ...

and holds the rank of major general, whereas the head of the Turkish military forces in Northern Cyprus holds a higher rank as

lieutenant general Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the battlefield, who was norma ...

. It includes 4 Infantry Regiments and the Coast Guard Command, two of which are expedition and the other two are (ready). In addition, the TRNC Police Organization is included in the Security Forces. The organization is as follows: *1st Infantry Regiment - Hazir (ready) *2nd Infantry Regiment - Seferi (mobile) *3rd Infantry Regiment - Seferi (mobile) *4th Infantry Regiment - Hazir (ready) * Aviation Unit Command * TRNC Coast Guard Command * Directorate General for Police, includes the Fire and Rescue Service * Special Task Force Command *Logistics Support Command *UAV command in Geçitkale Air Base According to observers a large part of its budget was covered by the Turkish army, upon which it depended for training and equipment. It is also believed that the majority of its officers came from the ranks of the Turkish Army officer corps on temporary leave from their regular duties and its operations were controlled by the Turkish army.

Strength

G.K.K Commandos Passage Ceremony. Turkish Cypriot Soldiers. As of 2009, the strength of this force was believed to be about 9,000. It was organized into fifteen battalions in two brigades, infantry battalions armed with light weapons plus some artillery units equipped with mortars. Turkish Cyprus's Coast Guard has 36 vessels. Coast Guard operates: KKTC SG 01 (Class: Turk type 80; construction:1997-2000; active since:2000) In March, 2023, Turkish Cyprus's Coast Guard started to operate TRNC SG-110 (BOĞAZ), TRNC SG-111 (LEFKE) and TRNC SG-112 (SERDARLI) modern assault boats.

Military ranks of Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus

Due to its close ties to

Turkey Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...

, Northern Cyprus shares a rank structure similar to that of Turkey.

Commissioned officer ranks

The rank insignia of

commissioned officer An officer is a person who holds a position of authority as a member of an armed force or uniformed service. Broadly speaking, "officer" means a commissioned officer, a non-commissioned officer (NCO), or a warrant officer. However, absent ...

Other ranks

The rank insignia of

non-commissioned officer A non-commissioned officer (NCO) is an enlisted rank, enlisted leader, petty officer, or in some cases warrant officer, who does not hold a Commission (document), commission. Non-commissioned officers usually earn their position of authority b ...

s and

enlisted personnel An enlisted rank (also known as an enlisted grade or enlisted rate) is, in some armed services, any rank below that of a commissioned officer. The term can be inclusive of non-commissioned officers or warrant officers, except in United States ...

Compulsory military service

According to the TRNC Constitution, every male citizen has a military service obligation. The recruitment age is 18 years. Military service periods: * 15 months in private equilibrium * 12 months in reserve officer equivalent * Reserve officer, sergeant equivalent 12 months * 8 months in short term equilibrium * It is 1 month provided that it fulfills its special status (paid and / or short term service) obligation.

References

;Bibliography * Christopher Hitchens - Cyprus, Hostage to History: From the Ottomans to Kissinger ;Notes

External links

Official website
(Turkish)

{{DEFAULTSORT:Northern Cyprus Armed Forces

Northern Cyprus Northern Cyprus, officially the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), is a ''de facto'' state that comprises the northeastern portion of the Geography of Cyprus, island of Cyprus. It is List of states with limited recognition, recognis ...

Cyprus and the Commonwealth of Nations

Military of Northern Cyprus Military units and formations established in 1976 1976 establishments in Cyprus

Law enforcement in Northern Cyprus