Turkish army

The Turkish soldier who went missing after crossing the border into Syria during an anti-smuggling operation has been brought back to Turkey.

Turkish security authorities have begun to dig trenches at the country's border with Syria as Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) militants fleeing airstrikes took shelter in an energy facility on the Syrian side of the border.

Retired Chief of General Staff Gen. İlker Başbuğ has accused the former Land Forces Commander Gen. Aytaç Yalman of making “irrational” statements over his role in the Balyoz (Sledgehammer) coup plot case.

Turkey is setting its sights on the ambitious target of producing its own local fighter jet to become "fully independent" in its ground, naval and air defense, National Defense Minister İsmet Yılmaz has said.

Militants of the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) battling for the capture of the Syrian town of Kobane suffered some of their heaviest losses yet in 24 hours of clashes and U.S.-led air strikes, monitors said Nov. 30.

Turkish defense producers aim to boost exports to $25 billion by 2023, from $1.5 billion this year, Defense Industry Undersecretary İsmail Demir stated on Nov. 28.    

Demir said Turkey aims to have defense companies among the top 100 major companies in the world, and to create at least three global brands in the defense sector.

The Turkish army has banned screenings of the popular TV series “Game of Thrones,” while introducing classes on Islam for the first time, daily Cumhuriyet reported Nov. 7.

Turkey’s defense spending stood at 29.4 billion Turkish Liras ($13.2 billion) this year, Defense Minister İsmet Yılmaz said on Nov. 2, in response to a parliamentary question from a deputy of the opposition Nationalist Movement Party (MHP).

Another soldier was killed in Turkey’s southeast on Oct. 29, hours after the Turkish army reiterated that the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) was responsible for the recent killing of three soldiers in the southeastern province of Hakkari.

Another soldier has been shot in Turkey’s southeast, hours after the Turkish army reiterated that the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) was responsible for the recent killing of three soldiers in the southeastern province of Hakkari.