Abdullah Atay

Turkey has renewed its top military brass and appointed Land Forces Commander Gen. Hulusi Akar as the new Chief of General Staff, as his predecessor Gen. Necdet Özel has completed his four-year mandate. Gen. Özel is expected to hand over his seat to Gen. Akar on Aug. 14. 

Turkey's Supreme Military Council (YA?) convened for its regular annual meeting on Aug. 3 to discuss appointments and retirements of high-ranking staff officers and generals in the Turkish Armed Forces, as well as for the removal of military personnel from the army. 

The Supreme Military Council (YA?) will convene for a regular annual meeting on Aug. 3 to discuss appointments and retirements in the top echelons of the Turkish Armed Forces amid ongoing cross-border operations in Iraq and Syria.

One Turkish soldier who was killed on July 20 in a gun attack staged by the outlawed Kurdistan Workers? Party (PKK) in eastern Turkey was laid to rest in a July 21 ceremony.

Prime Minister Ahmet Davuto?lu also attended the funeral ceremony of gendarmerie soldier Müsellim Ünal, 22, in the southeastern province of Ad?yaman.

President Recep Tayyip Erdo?an chaired a cabinet meeting April 20 for the third time since he was elected president, with the A?r? incident and electorate security at the top of the agenda.

As dissidents continued to raise their voices against the controversial new homeland security bill, Prime Minister Ahmet Davuto?lu attended a ?special security meeting? before chairing a cabinet meeting on Feb. 11.

President Abdullah Gül will chair a meeting of the National Security Council (MGK) for the last time when it gathers on Aug. 13.

The Supreme Military Board (YAŞ) concluded its annual meetings a day before its schedule and appointed the current commander of the Aegean Army in İzmir, Gen. Abdullah Atay, as the new commander for the Gendarmerie Forces.