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Turkey p. 3
Rapid Reaction Forces
6 airmobile/parachute
battalions
Rapid Response Corps For NATO (40-50,000 soldiers)
NATO ARRC
Organization
Army HQ - Ankara
Despite the end of the Cold War, Turkey continues to maintain
the largest army in Europe because it has 4 major commitments:
NATO contribution to the ARRC
Greek frontier
Cyprus
Eastern borders:
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Armenia, Georgia,
Azerbaijan
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To protect frontiers against ethnic conflicts; the
separatist Kurds are an issue, but secondary
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Iran, Iraq, Syria
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Anti-Kurd operations. Till Gulf II also to protect
against Iraq, and against Iran/Syria radicalism. Now
protects against unrest along this long border.
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Turkey has gradually shifted to the standard NATO Corps-brigade
structure but still maintains some divisions for specific
purposes.
A plan to replace the 4 armies with a Western Army (Istanbul)
and Eastern Army (Malatya) does not seem to have been
implemented.
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