UPDATE (August 15, 2026): Following the Supreme Military Council (YAŞ) meeting held at the Presidential Complex on August 4, 2026, the new assignment decree detailing the new chain of command within the Turkish Armed Forces was published in the Official Gazette on August 15, 2026. The new assignment details have been added to our report below.
The 2026 Supreme Military Council (YAŞ) meeting, held under the chairmanship of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, has concluded, and its decisions have been officially released. The new chain of command, promotions, and the names of those being retired have been finalized.
Highlights from the Supreme Military Council
- President Erdoğan determined the new chain of command at the 2026 Supreme Military Council meeting.
- General Rafet Dalkıran was appointed Commander of the Air Force, while Admiral Ercüment Tatlıoğlu’s term as Commander of the Naval Forces was extended by one year.
- A total of 94 generals and admirals were promoted to the next rank up; the number of generals and admirals in the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) will reach 334 as of August 30, 2026.
- Thanks were extended to the generals, admirals, and colonels who are retiring, with well wishes for their new ranks and duties.
- The new chain of command aims to strengthen the Turkish Armed Forces.
- At the 2026 Supreme Military Council meeting held at the Presidential Complex on August 4, 2026, under the chairmanship of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, decisions were made — with the President’s approval — regarding which generals, admirals, and colonels serving in the Turkish Armed Forces would:
a) Be promoted to the next rank,
b) Have their terms of duty extended,
c) Be retired due to lack of available positions. - Effective August 30, 2026:
a) 25 generals and admirals were promoted to the next rank up, and 69 colonels were promoted to general/admiral rank.
b) The terms of duty of 24 generals were extended by one year, and those of 530 colonels were extended by two years.
c) 2 generals were retired due to age limit, effective September 1, 2026; 61 generals and admirals were retired due to lack of available positions, effective August 30, 2026.
ç) It was decided to extend the term of duty of Naval Forces Commander Admiral Ercüment Tatlıoğlu by one year.
d) As Air Force Commander General Ziya Cemal Kadıoğlu was retired due to lack of an available position, Combat Air Force Commander General Rafet Dalkıran was appointed Commander of the Air Force.
e) The number of generals and admirals, currently 328, will rise to 334 as of August 30, 2026. - Effective August 30, 2026:
a) Lieutenant General Erdoğan Gür (Air Force Command) was promoted to General; Major Generals Burhan Aktaş, Ertan İnaltekin, and Alparslan Kılınç (Land Forces Command) were promoted to Lieutenant General; Rear Admirals Ramazan Özoğul and Erhan Aydın (Naval Forces Command) were promoted to Vice Admiral; and Major General Kemal Turan (Air Force Command) was promoted to Lieutenant General.
b) Brigadier Generals Şükrü Bilir, Mustafa Büyükköroğlu, İsmail Özcan, Şener Kopal, Ahmet Aşık, Bülent Tanrıverdi, Mehmet Açık, Mustafa Yeter, Coşkun Çelik, Ömer Şahin Selvi, Yüksel Kolcu, İsmail Analı, and Hakan Durmazpınar (Land Forces Command) were promoted to Major General; Rear Admirals Erhan Akbayrak, Yücel Darcan, Eren Günay, and Kenan Kaan Türkkan (Naval Forces Command) were promoted to Rear Admiral (upper half); and Brigadier General Cihangir Kemal Yüzçelik (Air Force Command) was promoted to Major General.
- We wish the new ranks and duties of the generals, admirals, and colonels who have been promoted or whose terms have been extended to bring good fortune to our Nation, our State, our Armed Forces, and their families.
- We thank the generals, admirals, and colonels who are retiring after completing their terms of duty with great dedication and honor for their service, and wish them and their families happiness and well-being in this new chapter of their lives.
SUPREME MILITARY COUNCIL
Lahika :
1- Generals, Admirals, and Colonels Promoted to the Next Rank
2- Generals and Admirals Whose Terms Were Extended by One Year
3- Generals and Admirals Retired
Latest Appointments in the Turkish Armed Forces
Within the scope of the 2026 Supreme Military Council decisions, the new distribution of duties across army, corps, and key command levels within the Turkish Armed Forces became official upon publication in the Official Gazette dated August 15, 2026.
Lieutenant General Zorlu Topaloğlu has been appointed as the Commander of the Aegean Army, Lieutenant General Gültekin Yaralı as the Commander of the 2nd Army, Lieutenant General Tuncay Altuğ as the Commander of Land Forces EDOK, Lieutenant General Ahmet Kurumahmut as the Commander of the 6th Corps, Lieutenant General Burhan Aktaş as the Commander of the 3rd Army, and Major General Emre Tayanç as the Commander ofomet the 4th Corps. Major General İsmail Özcan has been assigned as the Head of General Staff Intelligence.
Furthermore, within the General Command of the Gendarmerie, effective as of August 30, 7 generals and 18 colonels have been promoted to a higher rank. In total, changes were made to the duty stations of 78 generals and colonels.
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Source: C4Defence-MSB
