Military branches:
Turkish Armed Forces (TSK): Turkish Land Forces (Turk Kara Kuvvetleri), Turkish Naval Forces (Turk Deniz Kuvvetleri; includes naval air and naval infantry), Turkish Air Force (Turk Hava Kuvvetleri) (2010)
Military service age and obligation:
20 years of age (2004)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 20,832,658
[see also: Manpower available for military service - males age 16-49 country ranks ]
females age 16-49:
20,337,037 (2010 est.)
[see also: Manpower available for military service - females age 16-49 country ranks ]
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 17,447,579
[see also: Manpower fit for military service - males age 16-49 country ranks ]
females age 16-49:
17,173,063 (2010 est.)
[see also: Manpower fit for military service - females age 16-49 country ranks ]
Manpower reaching military service age annually:
male: 695,326
[see also: Manpower reaching military service age annually - male country ranks ]
female:
666,026 (2010 est.)
[see also: Manpower reaching military service age annually - female country ranks ]
Military expenditures: Military - note:
5.3% of GDP (2005 est.)
country comparison to the world: 15
[see also: Military expenditures country ranks ]
a "National Security Policy Document" adopted in October 2005 increases the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) role in internal security, augmenting the General Directorate of Security and Gendarmerie General Command (Jandarma); the TSK leadership continues to play a key role in politics and considers itself guardian of Turkey's secular state; in April 2007, it warned the ruling party about any pro-Islamic appointments; despite on-going negotiations on EU accession since October 2005, progress has been limited in establishing required civilian supremacy over the military; primary domestic threats are listed as fundamentalism (with the definition in some dispute with the civilian government), separatism (the Kurdish problem), and the extreme left wing; Ankara strongly opposed establishment of an autonomous Kurdish region; an overhaul of the Turkish Land Forces Command (TLFC) taking place under the "Force 2014" program is to produce 20-30% smaller, more highly trained forces characterized by greater mobility and firepower and capable of joint and combined operations; the TLFC has taken on increasing international peacekeeping responsibilities, and took charge of a NATO International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) command in Afghanistan in April 2007; the Turkish Navy is a regional naval power that wants to develop the capability to project power beyond Turkey's coastal waters; the Navy is heavily involved in NATO, multinational, and UN operations; its roles include control of territorial waters and security for sea lines of communications; the Turkish Air Force adopted an "Aerospace and Missile Defense Concept" in 2002 and has initiated project work on an integrated missile defense system; Air Force priorities include attaining a modern deployable, survivable, and sustainable force structure, and establishing a sustainable command and control system (2008)
