YAŞ convenes this week, who to be appointed as Chief of General Staff?

Members of the Supreme Military Council (YAŞ) will gather at the Presidential Complex under the leadership of President Erdoğan. Cabinet members, including Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz, the Minister of Justice Yılmaz Tunç, the Minister of Foreign Affairs Hakan Fidan, the Minister of Treasury and Finance Mehmet Şimşek, the Minister of Interior Ali Yerlikaya, the Minister of National Education Yusuf Tekin, the Minister of National Defense Yaşar Güler, as well as the newly assigned Chief of General Staff, Army Commander General Musa Avsever, Navy Commander Admiral Ercüment Tatlıoğlu, and Air Force Commander General Atilla Gülan, will participate in the meeting.

The majority of the cabinet members who are YAŞ members will attend the Supreme Military Council meeting for the first time.

As is customary each year, the YAŞ proceedings are expected to commence after YAŞ members visit Anıtkabir with President Erdoğan. During the meeting, promotions for colonels, extensions of service periods, and the appointment and promotion files of generals and admirals will be discussed. The YAŞ working sessions are anticipated to be completed in one day, and decisions made by the Council will be implemented after President Erdoğan's approval.

One of the key topics expected to be discussed at the High Military Council (YAŞ) is the appointment of the new Chief of General Staff following Yaşar Güler's appointment as Minister of National Defense. For this position, President Erdogan may either choose the current Army Commander, General Avsever, who has also been designated as the Chief of General Staff, or appoint a new candidate. Among the potential candidates for Chief of General Staff are 2nd Army Commander, General Metin Gürak, 1st Army Commander, General Ali Sivri, and Deputy Chief of General Staff, General Selçuk Bayraktaroğlu.

Among the three classmates who graduated from the Military Academy in 1981, Metin Gürak was promoted to the rank of general in 2020, while Sivri and Bayraktaroğlu were promoted in 2021.

If Avsever is not appointed as the Chief of General Staff, he is expected to retire based on the service waiting period and age limit.

Notable names in the Air and Naval Forces

The tenures of Navy Commander, Admiral Ercüment Tatlıoğlu, and Air Force Commander, General Atilla Gülan, continue.

In the event of retirement of the current commanders, Vice Admiral Aydın Şirin, the Chief of Naval Staff, and Vice Admiral Kadir Yıldız, the Fleet Commander, are mentioned for the Navy Command.

In the Air Force, the name highlighted is the Commander of Air Combat Forces, General Ziya Cemal Kadıoğlu.

Those awaiting the fourth star

As part of the decisions made by YAŞ, some Major Generals will be promoted to the rank of Lieutenant General. In this regard, Major General Yavuz Türkgenci, the 3rd Army Commander, whose tenure was extended by one year in the Land Forces Command last year, Major General Kemal Yeni, the Aegean Army Commander, Major General Sinan Yayla, the Land Forces EDOK Commander, Major General İrfan Özsert, the General Director of Defense and Security at the Ministry of National Defense, and Major General İsmail Güneykaya, the Air Training Commander, are among those in line for promotion.