TURKISH MILITARY UNION Report: 1

WHAT SERGEANTS & NCO WANT

1. SALARY IMPROVEMENTS. 2. ADJUSTMENTS 3. RECOUPMENT 4. LODGING SITUATION 5. OYAK (Turkish Armed Forces Assistance and Pension Fund) 6. TURKISH ARMED FORCES DISCIPLINARY LAW 7. RESTORING THE LATENCY TIME FOR RANK 8. DECREASING THE DURATION TIME OF COMPULSORY SERVICE. 9. MOBBING 10. OFFICER’S CLUBS AND SERVICES 11. TURKISH ARMED FORCES FOUNDATIONS 12. REGISTRY REMISSION 13. PERSONNEL REGIME 14. FOREIGN MISSION AND COURSES (TRAINING?) 15. OTHER ISSUES 16. RESULTS AND SUGGESTIONS

1 TURKISH MILITARY UNION 1. SALARY IMPROVEMENTS :

1.1 The draft bill on the payments of officers, sergeants, specialist gendarmes, specialized sergeants, petty officers and privates assigned under the Law no 5422 for the Law for Provincial Administration and Law no 7269 In Regards to the Aid with the precautions to be taken due to effectual disasters for public life to be 1/10 (63 TL) of the gross amount of the highest goverment employee salary was sent to MOD on April, 10, 2012 (Written statement of the The General Staff).

1.2 Currently, no compensation is paid to the personnel who is not provided lodging. Draft suggesting an increase of 400 Tl to the Turkish Armed Forces (TAF) personnel who is not provided lodging was sent to MSB on June 18, 2008.However, it did not pass into law during the 23rd legislative year. Thereupon, the article of the The General Staff including the matter of continuing the activities to renew and enact the mentioned law draft in the 24th legislative year was sent to MOD on April 6, 2012 (Written statement of the The General Staff).

1.3 The proposal of a %20 increase in the salaries of majors whose income level is patially lower and the low rank officers, sergeants, specialist gendarme and specialized sergeants was sent to MSB on August 24, 2011 and November 18, 2011. The proposal for an increase in the TSK Service Compensation to provide a %20 increase in the salaries of lower rank officer, sergeant, sepcialist gendarme and specialized sergeant was sent to MOD on May 15, 2012. (Written statement of The General Staff).

1.4 (9) The proposal regarding overtime payments to the TAF personnel was sent to MOD on May 28, 2012 (Written statement of the The General Staff).

1.5 The proposal regarding the use of one dashboard that arranges personal benefits according to the TSK personnel’s education level wassent to Ministry of Defense on January 23, 2012. (Written statement of the The General Staff).

1.6 The guard duty compensation should be paid for the guard duties performed according to the 24 hour principle. How is it right to provide maximum “Per Diem Allowance” to the people who go on to do daily tasks or inspections with the state vehicle or helicopter based on their ranks while saying that it is their job to the personnel who stand guard for 24 hours and another 12 hour shift on top? All personnel who stand guard should be paid in the rate of at least one “per diem allowance” per guard duty. If this is implementted, the unnecessary extra guard duties would be cancelled, types of guard duties and the number of guard duties would lessen. However, no positive response was received from the governnment regarding any of the proposals mentioned above. The General Staff

2 TURKISH MILITARY UNION responds to the questions in regards to the follw up on the proposals by saying “the process is continued”.

1.8 A sergeant retiring without falling to the 1st level receives a montly salary of 1300 TL (starvation wage). How much does a colonel equal to sergeant major receive? Around 4000 TL. The difference is 2700 TL.

Here is an example for you. The difference between the salaries of a police commissioner graduated from the 4 year Police Academy and a police officer graduated from a 1 year police academy is only 300 TL. Today the monthly salary of a sergeant retiring without falling to the 1. Level is 1300 TL close to the starvation wage (1.010 TL). Sergeants who retire without falling to the 1st level receives 1.780 TL which is below the starvation wage (3.197 TL).

1.9 The difference betwwen the salaries of a sergeant major and a colonel is around $300. In Turkey, aforementioned salary difference is twice as much. A lieutenant colonel’s salary is $4350 and a sergeant major’s salary is around $4130 in the US Army.

1.10 Although officers have one salary scale, sergeants have 4 salary scales. Salary scales for sergeants should be rearranged as one salary scale. According to the law passed in the Grand National Assembly of Turkey on May 22, 2012, sergeants who completed two or multiple year higher education, like other officers, can be risen up to the 4th rank of 1st level. However, as no change has been made in the scale, this improvement had no financial contribution at all except for an increase of 4,7 TL in salaries.

2. ADJUSTMENTS

2.1 Proposal for adjustments of 2nd level retired sergeants to 1st level was sent to MOD on May 28, 2012 (Written statemenf of the The General Staff).

2.2 Draft bill prepared to adjust the retierement salary of 2nd and 3rd level retired personnel up to 1st level retired personnel was sent to the Prime Ministry on September 9, 2011. (Written statemenf of the The General Staff).

2.3 Proposal for adjustments of entry level and ranks of officers, sergeants, specialized gendarme and specialized sergeant according to their education level and ensuring the the graduates from 4 year faculty and higher education to start from 8/1, graduates from 2 year faculty and higher education 9/2 and graduates from high school and equivalents to start from 10/1 was sent to MOD on January 23, 2012. (Written statemenf of the The General Staff).

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2.4 With the change made on the law no 4752 Sergeant Vocational School of Higher Education Law, starting from 2005 the education level of active sergeants was increased to two year vocational school of higher education from high school level. Although adjustments for sergeants retired from 2-3 level should be made as they graduated from vocational school of higher education, these adjustmenst are not being done for sergeans as it’s done for officers.

However, none of the proposals received a positive response from the government until today. When the The General Staff is asked about the follow up on the proposals, the response received is “still in process.”

3. COMPENSATION

3.1 Executive Compensation

(Paid to lieutenant colonel and high rank officers)(*) It’s being paid since 1982. Turkish Armed Forces Law No 211, Internal Service Act, Clause 11 – Military Authority: Position represented by each commandant in the Turkish Armed Forces. Commandant: Person who has the power of command by authority and employment. This means that every “Commandant” is qualified to receive the executive compensation.

So, do any officers who don’t have authority qualify for this compensation? Yes. Meaning that lieutenant and above officers without authority receive this compensation.

Likewise, do sergeants in the authority position benefit from this compensation? No, sergeants in duties such as station Command, District Gendarmerie Command, Maintenance and Repair Command, Accounting, Lodging Branch Management, Personnel Branch Office Management, Chief Mechanic Engineering, Team Commendership, Section Chief Administratorship and specialized sergeants in similar tasks are not qualified for this compensation as they are not considered as authorities. The interestiing point here is that officers below the rank of lieutenant colonel (major and below) cannot benefit from this compensation. Officers ranked major and below cannot benefit from the compensation if they are authority and commanders.

Despite the report of the Supreme Court stating that the compensation payment to the active lieutenant colonel although he is not in ¼ is injudicial, administration pays lieutenant colonels the executive compensation while saying “there is no budget” when it comes to pay the executive compensation to sergeants despite the law.

4 TURKISH MILITARY UNION Sergeants are not demanding the executive compensation to be the same rate as officers. They want it to be paid according to the ranks. In the end, everybody who takes responsibility has an authority in TAF.

3.2 Representation Compensation (paid to lieutenant colonels and superiors)

This compensation is being paid to lieutenant colonels and superiors since 2000. It’s promulgated in the Official Gazette number 23962 on Feb 2, 2000 and it’s paid to the personnel qualified for Executive Compensation over index of at least 7.000. Here, again, unfortunately some sergeants are disregarded.

Because sergeants do not represent TAF and generally they are told “be careful, you are representing TAF” regarding the issues such as the dress code, disciplinary superior- subordinate relationship and officer’s club. But when it comes to compensation, the approach they receive is “You are representing Directorate General for Highways and Genral Directorate of State Hydraulic Works.”

Monthly expense authorization is given to the lieutenant and superiors who receive this compensation, under “RECEPTION EXPENSES” due to the “Cafeteria Regulations.” The statement in the cafeteria regulations reads: “Based on the unit’s level, whether it’s Garrison Command or not, and the features of station and establishment, they can make expenditures for representation and entertainment according to the amounts determined and issued in January every year. The expenditures that can be done on representation and entertainment are listed below. More expenditures can be made with permission in advance. Treats and stationary supplies to be used in the office at the head of department level can be purchased.” The representation expenditure given from the cafeteria for 2013 is around 200TL.

In the same way, commanding officers who are authorizing officers are given funds from economic expenditures in the budget under the name “Representation Entertainment Expenditures.” This number for the year 2012 for a unit at the regiment level was around 15.000 TL.

So, the respective person receives the personal compensation, is given representation funding from the cafeteria and is given the authority to make spenditures under “Representation and Entertainment Expenditures.” There is no fairness here.

3.3 Compensation due to lack of open staff positions (Paid to Lieutenants and Superiors until the age of 65.)

5 TURKISH MILITARY UNION It’s being paid since 1993. According to the 9th clause of Public Services Commission dated 09/08/1993 and issue 499, officers are given “compensation due to lack of open staff positions.” This compensation is paid to the officers who could not get promoted because of a lack of open staff positions or who were retired before the age limit, until the age of 65 including additional indicators. According to the 28/08/2000, no 629 Public Services Commision, the increase rate for this compensation was arranged as: General (%333), Lieutenant general (%360), major general (%400), brigadier general (%500), colonel (%583), lieutenant colonel (%500), major (%500) and captain (%333). Look at the increase rates. While retired officers are qualified to receive this increase, active and retired sergeants are disregarded again.

What was the purpose of this compensation? Colonels and generals are registered but as there was no open staff positions they wouldn’t get promoted although they reached the age limit, right? The law was changed and the wait until the age limit is removed. A two-year colonel started to get compensation. It is important to emphasize that, just as the state does not promise every faculty member to promote them as “deans” or “we will give you tenure”, the state did not promise to each colonel of a general position. However, the state pays the general compensation to all the colonels who has been active for two years.

3.4 Commandership Compensation

(It’s arranged by military personnel supplementary payment bylaw. It’s a legal obligation to pay all lieutenants, generals and 1% of sergeants.)

(It’s arranged by military personnel supplementary payment bylaw. It’s a legal obligation to pay all lieutenants, generals and 2% of sergeants).

The purpose is to make payments to majors and lower rank officers who do not get representation and executive compensation. Again, this compensation is organized fairly and sergeants are disregarded.

Aforementioned compensation is a fair compensation system example which does not recognize the Commander of Dağlıca Station while recognizing the officer who serves in Ankara as a commander. The commander compensations paid in 2012 are listed below. Provincial Gendarmerie Deputy Commander receives 400 TL, Station Commander Sergeant receives 49 TL and a specialist sergant receives 30TL with the recent adjustments.

Some of the raises as of January according to the “Supplementary Payment Bylaw” are listed below:

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Four star general – Admiral: 354 TL Lieutenant General – Vice Admiral: 335 TL Major General – Rear Admiral: 318 TL Brigadier General – Commodore: 300 TL Colonel: 383 TL Lieutenant Colonel: 265 TL Major: 247 TL Captain:230 TL First Lieutenant: 212 TL

With this bylaw, staff officers receiving around 300 TL as compensation will be paid up to 600 TL supplementary payment.

According to the legal decision, staff officers receiving around 300 lira compensation will be paid up totally up to 600 lira as fringe benefits.

3.5 Mission Compensation (paid to Lieutenant colonels and superior officers)

It’s being paid to lieutenant colonels and superior officers since 2001. The characteristic of this compensation is that it’s given to the officers who do not receive representation compensation.

This is the compensation which was supposedly given to first sergeants who fell to level 1 since 2002. For 11 years, this was just said but not done. Sergeants still do not receive this compensation. The proposal presented to the parliament was rejected due to excuse of not having a budget by the minister of finance.

The arrangemenst on the Mission Compensation by Public Services Commission 2001, issue 375 included a clause regarding sergeants however, neither the coalition during that period nor the present government executed it. On the contrary, the present government thought that they solved the problem by removing the clause completely.

A public defender from highway commission filed a claim to Council of State 11 Chamber due to the fact that the clause was not executed. First 11 Chamber denied the lawsuit but then the Council of State, Plenary Session of the Chambers for Administrative Cases recognized the public defender and ruled for sergeants and other profession experts to receive this compensation but the government did not execute it. Consequently, sergeants can’t receive mission compensation as they do not serve!

7 TURKISH MILITARY UNION The draft law proposing that active and retired officers and sergeants at the 1st level should be able to get the mission compensation given to lieutenant colonels and superiors (around 385 TL increase) was sent to MOD on Jan 17, 2012 and then it was presented to the relevant ministries by MOD on Feb 13, 2012. (Written statement of The General Staff).

As of March 15, 2013 and 423 days passed since the proposal date, the result is still awaited.

3.6 Cyprus Island Compensation,

(All personnel attendant in Cyprus are paid ISLAND COMPENSATION of %100 of his GROSS monthly salary.) MONTHLY GROSS SALARY = İndicator + Additional İndicator x 0,076998 (Montly Coefficient) As the indicators for low ranks are lower and high for higher ranks, the compensation varies. Is this fair? No. It needs to be adjusted and distributed equally to all active personnel by mutliplying with the point corresponding coefficient. Examples: The compensation for colonels is 1.400 TL, while for officers between 573 and 1200TL, 400- 850TL for sergeants and 200 tL for specialist sergeants although they serve in the same island. Having a compensation difference of 7 times between the personnel serving in the same location is a unique example of a fair compensation system.

3.7 Floating Unit Compensation,

(Paid to all personnel serving in the Navy and Coast Guard Commendership Floating Unit)

The compensation amount for sergeants and specialised sergeants differ. For the year of 2012, officers are paid 120 TL, sergeants 80 TL and specialised sergants 60 TL.

As the compensation pay is dependent on the officer pay coefficient, the amount increased some in January 2013. Personnel serving on the same ship are getting different amounts of compensation due to their status. Although when the ship is waving on the sea, every personnel wavews the same, not due to their status.

4. LODGING

6th clause of the Public Housing Regulations states that “the proportion of public housing can be determined by the competent authority based on job title groups. The distribution in

8 TURKISH MILITARY UNION Turkish Armed Forces is done amongst officers, sergeants and civil servants (including specialist sergeants and specialist gendermarie sergeants).”

According to the response by the Defense Minister Ismet Yılmaz on 22/06/2012 and the parliamentary question by Mahmut Inal, representative from Istanbul on 15/05/2012;

It’s said that in addition to the fact that public housing provides a social opportunity for personnel and it needs to be accepted as a tool that has a direct effect on the service and task activity, the share percentages is determined in accordance with the principles of “responsibility and to be induced in service.”

So, who has the main responsibility at service? Is it the unit commander or co-assigned sergeants whose statements are taken first and sent to the court. Also, responsibilities like debit, training, paperwork, etc., belong to sergeants. However, distribution of lodgings in TAF is not done fairly. Distribution in TAF is also done in different proportions in gerndermarie and other forces.

The percentage of distribution in gendarmerie is 45% for officers, 35% for sergeants, 15% for specialist sergeants and 5% for civil servants.

The distribution percentages in Army, Naval and Air Forces is 50% for officers, 45% for sergeants and 5% for specialist sergeants and civil servants.

Some of the officers at service in units are provided lodgings in 2 direct ways under “Task Distribution and Service Distribution.” Additionally, the points of officers who are provided lodgings under “Task Distribution and Service Distribution” are not decreased but frozen. On top of that, when 45-55% distribution is done for the limited amount, no officer left without a lodging and all the officers live in lodgings throughout their careers.

For fair distribution, when lodging distributionsa are being done, number of lodgings should be balanced with the number of officers, sergeants, specialised sergeants and civil servants.

5. OYAK

Out of 58 personnel working in shareholdings of OYAK, only 6 are retired sergeans (Written statement of the The General Staff).

In board of directors under OYAK, officers, sergeants and specialized sergeants should be represented according to the personnel body. Having 97.000 sergeants represented by 1 sergeant in the board of directors is not acceptible.

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Proposal on making changes in this matter in the OYAK Law should be presented.

General Assembly of OYAK has 20 members selected by the representative board and 8 of the memberss are sergeants (Written statement of the The General Staff). As it can be seen, when sergeants are given tasks, there is no problem and sergeants can successfully do the tasks they are assigned.

No officer, sergeant and specialized sergeant should be forced to be members of OYAK. Every personnel should become a member upon his own will.

Benefits in OYAK should be more transparent. For instance, the OYAK retirement support for a colonel who was retired on 01.01.2012 after serving for 31 years is 271.500 TL while a sergeant with the same years of service is 214.170TL (Written statement of the The General Staff). So, the difference between the benefits of a sergeant and an officer with the same amount of service time is 26,7% (57.330TL). This amount is close to the amount that the Retirement Fund pays for a sergeant today, after 30 years of servicce.

The statement here is not complete. How much is the net pay cut for an officer and a sergeant with the same service time? And what’s the percentage of the net pay cut? In order to do a fair comparison, the net amount of pay-cut without the benefits from an officer and a sergeant should be announced.

The solid way to solve this issue is “the system of equal cut, equal benefit.” The solution for this is to have equal cuts from each member of OYAK and to give equal benefits to each member.

Another issue regarding OYAK is the fact that an officer with 3 years less experience than a sergeant gets more benefits. As a result, on the contrary to most of our colleagues, OYAK should never and ever be closed down. Only the administrative problems mentioned above should be resolved. Because OYAK is not a company that belongs to a person or a family; it’s the armed froces assistance and pension fund.

A foundation with thousands of members that was established with the efforts of thousands of people should not be provided to some as a favor during the privatization period. The administrative problems should be resolved but OYAK should never be solved. OYAK is “SELF PROPERTY” of the TAF personnel.

10 TURKISH MILITARY UNION 6. TURKISH ARMED FORCES DISCIPLINARY LAW

(The law that gives the authority to people who do not have the authority to delete the records of copy paper, to delete the records of officers, sergeants and special sergeants!) Constitutional Court needs to be contacted immediately for cancellation. With this law, punishments such as warning, censure, partial continuance to service, pay-cuts, not leaving the service area, room confinement only in the ships that are outside theterritorial waters will be given to officers, sergeants, specialist gerndarmerie and specialist sergeants.

Discharge from the Armed Forces will be given by the higher disciplinary committees. Before the law, the discharge process was performed by the decisions of Supreme Military Councils. With this law, it will be performed by the Higher Disciplinary Councils established under Service Commands, coast Guard Command and Gendarmerie General Command and with the approval of the competent commander, discharge will be executed.

For separation penalty from the Armed Forces by Higher Disciplinary Councils and pay-cut, not leaving the service area and room confinement penalties given to officers, sergeants, specialist gendarmerie, specialist sergeants and contracted petty officers and soldiers by disciplinary authority and disciplinary councils can be appealed in the Military High Administrative Court.

6.1 Service Partial Term Continue Penalty

By the TAF Discipline Law, disrespect to Superior, leaving the service area without permission, malingering, inappropriate behaviors and with the knowledge, which is not to be revealed, being not reticent to the relevent unauthorized persons, service partial term continue penalty decision may be taken. The clear name of this subject is corvee. The word corvee means in dictionary; “An obligation to a person or a colony to perform certain services, without any payment; in the terms of the slave system, a farmers obligation to perform certain services to feudal lord without any payment; weary, tiresome, perforced service.” Is corvee forbidden? According to The Constitution Of The Republic Of Turkey, 18th Article, Convee is certainly forbidden.

6.2 Paycut Penalty

Disrespecting authorities, lying, giving orders that are irrelevant to the service, discriminating, trespassing, requesting favoritism, accepting gifts, talking politics while at service, involvement in banned activities, leaving the garrison withour permission, violation of transportation safety will require paycut penalty.

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6.3 Penalty Of Not Leaving The Sevice Area

Insubordination, short term escape, damaging restricted equipment, asking for gifts or loans, not investigating a disciplinary action, disrespcting superiors, violation of guard code, provoking, intoxication, gambling, possession of a banned object, entering society, foundation or sport club activity memberships without permission, rejecting disciplinary penalty and fighting actions will be penalized with not leaving the service area. So, term of administrative restrictions was changed to the penalty of not leaving the service area.

6.4 Separation Penalty

According to the law, with the exception of obligations and unforeseen situation in economy, being addicted to taking loans and not paying off, moral weakness, acting in a way that disrupts service, disclosure of confidential information, involvement in ideological or political activities, long term escape, getting the habit of indiscipline, getting married to or living with a virtueless person, bestiality will be the reason for separation from the TAF. With the exception of contractual personnel, officers, sergeants and specialised gerndarmeri will be given separation penalty when reached to a certain penalty point. Is it possible to ive without loans, buying houses or cars for sergeants whose economic situations worsen day by day and get paid below the poverty line? For instance, according to this law, personnel who buys a house or a car and not be able to pay his debt will be given separation penalty. The limits of excessive loans should be clearly stated like 20 times of the salary, etc.

6.5 Suspension Penalty;

For the purpose of conducting a healthy and safe investigation for an action that might be considered as an indiscipline or crime, officers, sergeants, specialised gendarmeri, specialized sergeant and contractual private and soldiers will be considered on administrative leave.

With the law, documents and information regarding disciplinary actions and other administrative sanctions will be recorded in personal files, protected and recorded. These disciplinary actions or administrative sanctions will be taken into consideration when registration, promotion, reassignment, separation, discharge, contract termination, and in administrative procedures occur. So, a personnel who committed a crime and had his penalty recorded on his file will have trouble in terms of personal benefits and reassignments for the rest of his life.

Penalty Point Table Warning penalty: 1 point

12 TURKISH MILITARY UNION Reprimand: 1,5 points Partially continue to the service : 2 points Pay cut : 3 points Leave-taking from service area (authority to commandant): 3,5 points Leave-taking from service area ( to Disciplinary Council): 4,5 points Room confinement (commandant). 4 points Room confinement (board): 4,5 points

According to this table, beginning from the latest disciplinary action, receiving 18 penalty points or more in the last year or receiving penalty points 12 times from at least 2 disciplinary authority brings the discharge from the military.

So, a person who received reprimand 3 times and penalty of not leaving the service area 3 times in one year can be discharged immediately. What a great opportunity for mobbing! In the last five years starting from the latest penalty, receiving 35 points or receiving 25 points from the disciplinary authority means a discharge.

By this draft law,the names of disciplinary courts are changed to “Disciplinary Commissions” at the brigade levels. Also, new changes do not accept granting pardon or delaying of disciplinary crimes and obligate secondary registrar to interfere with the registrar’s fault. Therefore legal transactions regarding formation and notification of crime is prolonged.

6.6 Prejudices of Law and Reasons for Objection

With the new point table, unlimited power is given to the authority. This is dangerous as it provides a foundation for suicide cases to double as well as triggering the fear, worry about the future and even depression in lower ranks in their 25-30 year careers.

Who is going to evaluate disciplinary authorities’ fairness and lawfulness? If a subordinate can’t or won’t contact a superior disciplinary authority or council due to fear or pressure,wouldn’t this cause a threat to the records? Because disciplinary authority is the registrar at the same time. It’s not constitutional to have people as decision makers who are not legal experts and decide based on their feelings, to decide on each punishment which leads to discharge in the long term.

According to the new arrangements, when an officer is assigned to a position that is superior to his, would he be able to balance that position’s experience, maturity and the scale? In other words, would he be mature and acknowledged at a judge level? The law, is causing a division and strength in rule applications, tension in superior-subordinate relationship, by projecting

13 TURKISH MILITARY UNION the Second Regisrtry Superiors’ intervension to indiscipline, although the First Registry Superior who knows his retinue for certain, shows toleration to indiscipline and offense. According to the TAF Disciplinary Law, generals are not sentenced, colonels are given just a warning while a sergeant with 35-40 years of experience can be given punishment by a new graduate lieutenant because he is a registrar.

7. RESTORING THE RANK WAIT TIME

The quota of transitioning from a sergeant position to an officer position was increased in 2012 from 15% to 25% in order to motivate sergeants professionally (Written statement of the General Staff).

As of 2009, the wait period for staff sergeants and senior superior-sergeant was increased from 3 years to 6 years (Written statement of the General Staff). Is this the way for professional motivation? You’re telling a sergeant that he will be a staff sergeant later, so be happy!

The waiting time for rank should be changed back to the way it used to be and the need for officer staff which is met by reserve and contracted officers should be met only by sergeants.

Sergeants are required to work additional 9 years in total to be a staff sergeant. In the past, a sergeant could be a staff sergeant in 18 years but now it is 24 years. Also, when a person becomes a second level sergeant major he will do stand watch for extra 6 years. In the past, colonels became an officer in 27 years while this is down to 23 years. This will cause a 6 year delay for sergeants to become master sergeants which leads to a 6-9 year delay in salary raise and 6 year delay in receiving possible compensations.

Sergeants are asking for their ranks at least.

8. DECREASING THE COMPULSORY SERVICE TIME

Compulsory service times should be rearranged based on the training provided.

It’s not fair to have the same compulsory service time for an officer who was trained 4 years in military high school, 4 years in Military Academy, 1 year in Infantry School, 1 year in Officer Service School and for a sergeant who was trained for 2 years. So, is it right to have 10 yaer of compulsory service just because we provided 1-2 years of training to a person who did not want the training? A faculty member, today, has a 13 year of compulsory service time because he studied 6 years with full scholarship. He can’t change departments. We are talking about associate professors here. He has to work 13 years in the faculty that he is assigned to.

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People who say that compulsory service “can’t be increased based on the training received” should examine this example carefully. “Increase the salary based on education but not on the compulsory service!”

9. MOBBING

Arbitrary treatment, inequality, pressure from authorities, economical reasons, deadline pressures, not paying attention to over-time concept, load of additional and twin- duties, inspections, giving too much responsibilities, excessive amount of guard duty, not being able to use off-day on time and weekend shifts are exhausting sergeants.

For instance, a personnel in a gendarmerie station sometimes have to do 10 guard duties in 1 month. When a sergeant asks for permission to leave when his wife is giving birth, authorities can say “are you giving birth or is she? You can’t leave” or when he asks for off-days to get married, authorities can say “did you ask for my permission to get married? Did you ask me?” Another reason for pressure is having gendarmerie sergeants do mandatory service in the east 4 times (decreased to 3) and with the reassignments within the city, the number of reassingments is 12 in 25 years.

Inspection control form for inspecting a gendarmerie station or unit is 74 pages. In every page, there is an avergae of 5-12 subjects. If there are 5 subjects, that gives 370 issues to be controlled. On top of this, add personnel, operations, security, finance, and other divisions. How are unit administrative sergeants and station commandants going to keep up with this?

When gendarmerie officers’ time is done, they leave due to issues like this.

9.1 Inspections

By 4 times a year In Lieu of Nutrition Administrative Inspection, 2 times a year Regimental General Inspection, 1 time a year Regional Inspection, 2 times a year inspection of force and branch offices inpections turns the personnel into an inspection machine

How healthy it is to have a brigadier general and 10-12 colonels coming to the station for inspection while there are only 2 sergeants and 2 specialist sergeants at the station? Put yourself in the shoes of the personnel at that station. Also, there are legendary preparations for these inspections. You can’t know when the inspection is going to take place or when the preparations will end.

It’s crazy to expect a 20 year old soldier performance from a 40 year old sergeant in sports

15 TURKISH MILITARY UNION during the inspections.

Let’s say that you got ill during the inspection period. You got a 1-2 days of sports rest or bad rest report from a specialist in a civil hospital. This report needs to be approved by the doctor in the quarter otherwise your report is not valid. And now a paycut based on the rest you received is in the agenda.

These issued mentioned above and similar issues along with the hopelessness and mistrust in the future trigger suicides. This is why the number of suicides is increasing day by day.

Suicide rates in TAF in the last ten years surpassed the number of causalties in the internal security operation. The number of martyrs between 2002 and 2012 is 818 while the number of soldiers who committed suicide is 934. Sad situation. On the contrary, the number of personnel leaving the military is increasing every day and as of 2012, the number of applications to military academies is decreasing by 30%.

Excluding 2013, the number of personnel who left the TAF in the last 4 years are provided below. “A total of 17.314 officers/sergeants resigned or retired from TAF. In 2008, the number was 4.070, in 2009, 3.314, in 2010, 3.103, in 2011, 3.217 and in 2012 3.637. The number of officers who left is 5.067 and the number of sergeants are 12.274 total (Taken from the Minister of Defense’s statement). The number of privates who did not renew their contracts willingly is, 2.418 in 2008, 1417 in 2009, 1595 in 2010, 1955 in 2011 and 384 in 2012 with a total of 7.769 (Taken from the Minister of Defense’s statement). Although TAF’s statements for the cause of suicides say “unknown”, the causes are the issues we mentioned above.

10. OFFICER’S CLUB AND SHUTTLE SERVICES

One of the issues that make sergeans really upset is the fact that the seating plans in officer’s club and services are different. It’s paranoid to think that the discipline which is not broken in the Eastern mountains will be broken in officer clubs.

The seating plans in military shuttle services are embarrasing. It’s disgusting that people with lower ranks sit at the back just like the system used in the USA for slaves in 1900s. And having this rule being applied to families as well is disgusting.

The officer clubs should be unified under one roof and everybody who works at TAF should be able to resign without any restriction from officer clubs.

11. TAF Foundations

16 TURKISH MILITARY UNION The board members of TAF faoundations should not only include retired officers but also sergeants. Out of 444 retired personnel employed at the foundations, 308 are retired sergeants (Written statement of The General Staff).

There is not one sergeant in the boards of TAF foundations. This mentality is like “give the money and shut up.”

Money is raised for the foundations on voluntary basis. If it is really the voluntary basis, then why would a written order come from the superior command? Why would it read in personnel inspection issues that “has 100% of contribution to TAF Solidarity Foundation been achieved?” Wouldn’t the commander being inspected put pressure on the personnel about the contribution to foundations so that he would pass the inspection? Also, why donations are collected for foundations in certain months every year? Let the personnel make the donation whenever they want. Legal charges and support issues always cause arguments. Every forces has a judicial advisory. Can’t be judicial advisories and staff lawyers used for this service?

Are the foundation fees that are paid from cafeterias every month insufficient that money is collected from the personnel this way? As a result, TAF members who haven’t completed 10 years in TAF can’t retire or their families can’t be put on salary under off-duty circumstances such as death, etc., and this would put the family in a difficult situation. Therefore, personnel who hasn’t completed his 10 years should be a member of TAF Solidarity Foundation. However, when the person has completed his 10 years and received the right of invalidation out of service when something happens, should decide on his memberhsip, nobody should be pressured.

12. REGISTRY REMISSION

Till today, registry remissons performed 4-5 times by political authorities, didn’t include TAF members. Consequently, in the past, the personnel, who is unexperienced at that time, was having a lifelong penalty, having the rank and the promotion later than normal and even getting lower payment in retirement

Registry remission special to TAF members has to be done.

13. PERSONNEL REGIME

Personnel Vision should be rearranged. An Officer Academy should be established. In the year of 2013; in the country of Turkey, which is aiming to be a leader in the giants league; in the academic education detonation where the number of the universities rised to

17 TURKISH MILITARY UNION 110; in our country where the graduation from the university is mandatory for application for the lowest level of official or private service staff; as an addition to ongoing formation of proffesional new army, from the beginning of 2015, 4 year faculty equivalent condition must be set for the sergeant training schools or outside sources. With the new formation of sergeants, they should be placed to the 65 % core part of the army. In the new formation, the sergeants should compose the logistic, technical and electronic structure and have the related commendership of this structure.

The quota of becoming officer from sergeant put in order as 25 %. The basis of the 25 % rate should be clarified, even cancelled. Excluding the special expertise needen situations, contractual officer recruitments should not be done and the open positions for officers should be filled by making the efficient sergeants as officers.

Personnel strengths should be rearranged. Such that all sergeant positions were arranged as sergeant major or sergeant staff, however new graduated sergeants are assigned as well as the 35 years experienced sergeant major to the relevant position. A sergeant sould not be assigned to position of sergeant major, as well as the lieutenant can not be assigned to the position of the officers.

The positions should be rearranged according to the sergeants’ ranks. Personnel debilitation occurs by the inaccurate personnel regime which is performed during years. I would like to give some examples from gendarme.

Security General Directorate accepted nearly 12.400 students in 2012, 12.400 stedents in 2013, 24.800 students totally. (From the press) When the situation of police, who is responsible from the safety of 18 % of acreage of Turkey, is like that, let’s have a look at the situation of the gendarme, which is similar to police; The Gendarme, which is responsible from 82 % of acreage of Turkey, all closed prisons’ outside safeties, North Iraq borders, stopped accepting specialized gendarme sergeant from 2012.

By the information gathered from the internet sites of Gendarme General Commendarship, it is estimated that nearly 2800 sergeants and 300 officers are going to be accepted in the years 2012-2013. This personnel regime, which is inversely proportional with the on call and responsibility, may cause a rapid decrease in gendarme organisation, even closure in the future.

While the situation of the police and gendarme personnel acceptance is like that, it is better to have a look at the simple example of the on duty personnel regime. For instance, in a 10.000 populated town, 70 police is giving service, while in a gendarme station of a totally 22.500

18 TURKISH MILITARY UNION populated allocation unit, including 2 towns and 4 villages, at most 2 staff sergeants and 3 gendarme sergeant majors are giving service as a ranked staff .

The disabled subject here is the gendarme privates are put on par with the police staff. The gendarme private system should be cancelled immediately.

14. FOREIGN MISSIONS AND COURSES

The quota for the permanent foreign missions is increased from 57 to 111. Opportunities for language education are increased and 115 sergeants were sent abroad (USA, England etc.) for language education since 2007 (Written statement of The General Staff).

When we look at it, out of 97.000 sergeants in TAF 111 sergeants will be able to go abroad for permanent mission and 115 will be able to go abroad for language education.

15. OTHER MATTERS

Civil service staff, who gave service for a given period in east, is given an additional rank. The TAF members, whose half careers are took place in east, may not be able to take the advantage of this right. Including the retired ones, all the TAF members’ period of service in east should be calculated and additional rank should be given.

Civil service staff is getting 1 rank, when consecutively 6 years average registry is 90, although TAF members may get 1 rank when the last 6 years average registry is equal or higher than 90. In a sense, the beginning and the end of the year is not clear. Tsi subject should be arranged just as the same as the civil service staff.

A study should be done, about the courses taken and the certificates received by the retired staff when on duty, to be valid and offer an employement opportunity in the civil life, just as the pilot officers. (For example rescuer, operatör certificates)

Sergeants should be added to the profession groups list, just to make it easier to find an employment for the sergeants in civil sectore. For example; a sergeant, graduated from motor profession highschool and a faculty, wouldn’t be able to teach motor courses in driving schools. Instead of him, an officer, retired from the transportation corps, is giving the course. Even, a civil bachelor of agriculture, took a 6 month course and allowed to give the course, we are not allowed to give the same course just because we are retired sergeants. The subject should be discussed with The Councl Of Higher Education and corrected.

In military hospitals, retirees and patients are still treated according to their ranks. Does a patient have a rank ever? Instead of cancelled A-B-C policlinics, 1-2-3 Numbered policlinics

19 TURKISH MILITARY UNION named and nothing changed in military hospitals. Doctors shouldn’t be ranked. A doctor should perform a medical science, instead of military service. Nobody should be surprised, if there will be a boycott about not going to the military hospitals by the retirees in the future.

Being a staff judge advocate opportunity for the sergeants who are bachelor in law, is not given. Unfortunately, judge requirement is supplied by the reserve officers, however the sergents, graduate in law, are not charged with as judge.

As in the past and as same as the worlwide various armies, the right for being a pilot should be given again to the sergeants. This implementation, which is cancelled just because of a generals self-caprice, should be ended.

How right is the representation of the sergeants by only officers in the Ministry of National Defence Sergeants’ Personal Rights Regulatory Authority? Don’t the sergeants have the ability to represent themselves? At least 2 sergeants from every branch should be assigned for the in question authority.

The name of our profession should be sergeant, not subordinate-officer. The name was “sergeant” before September 12th, and changed into “subordinate-officer” within a night, at September 12th, so that everybody should know their places. As you aware, in Turkish language, 3 consonant sould not be used consecutively. As a consequence, we use third- lieutenant instead of subordinate-lieutenant, first-lieutenant instead of superior-lieutenant, deputy chairman instead of subordinate-chairman and obey this rule. When it comes to sergeants, it is called as subordinate-officer, as a result of ulterior motive, the subordinate part will be emphasized! Everybody should know their places.

The pressure put on Turkish Language Society, the word “sergeant”, found in the spelling books before 1980, changed into “subordinate-officer”. In a word, Turkish consonance rule discounted, order cut iron. (Because, instead of a scientific explanation, Turkish Language Society replied as “in case of practice necessities, it is written like that” )

Legal regulations should be made in order to change the status of TEMAD from society status so that unionisation can happen.

16. RESULTS AND SUGGESTIONS

16.1 Results

Today, circulating capital is received in state hospitals. Do Ministry of Health or hospital administrations say that they would give the money to doctors but not nurses or medical

20 TURKISH MILITARY UNION assistants? Everybody receives pay from the circulating capital in accordance with their education, duty and contribution. In the end, anesthesists, nurses, medical assisstants, radiology technican, lab technician etc., help doctors. Can they diagnose a patient? Can they operate on patients?

Without anesthesist, how is patient put under? How will the patient be diagnosed without blood test results? How will doctors examine lungs without X-rays?

We, sergeants work with officers. What does sergean mean? It means assistant of officer (10 years ago the title “private” was replaced by “sergeant”). Without sergeants, how can officers manage? How can they send their messages? Who would do the maintenance? How would the administrative work continue? Who would deal with soldiers, how would transportation activities continue? Who would patrol, who would command the stations in the East and West?

Consequently, officers’ salaries, economic and social benefits are improved in every coup d’etat while sthe situations of sergeants worsen more.

Another issue is the mobbing situation to sergeants and lower rank personnel by the laws passed during the extraordinary coup d’etat. While nearly all officers are waiting for the age limit to retire, why would sergeants retire as soon as they reach the age limit? Even, some would resign without getting their pay? Why would 8 sergeants who reach the master sergeant rank commit suicide in 2 months?

16.2 Suggestions

So many officers and staff officers are being raised. Since 1994, “System Engineering” program is used with the training by our valuable officers graduated from Military Academy.

It’s significant that our officers who were trained on system engineering are still not able to solve the issue. In the end, this is a system issue and needs to be solved.

While sergeant pays and compensations are regulated by politicians, they act like the officers, representatives will get a paycut and the cut will be given to sergeants. The resources of Republic of Turkey are enough for all of us to have dignified lives.

Even the Hecaj Railroad project of Ottomans lasted shorter than the work on giving personal benefits of sergeants. Thank you for your support that you provided and will provide to solving our problems which were not solved for 65 years. PRESIDENCY OF THE TURKISH SOLDIER UNION

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REFERENCES:

1. Ministry of National Defence, June 22nd, 2012, MAİY:2012/7101- Kan.Kar.D.Kan.Tet.ve İşl.Ş. 1231 issue, Article subject “Written Question”. 2. Ministry of National Defence, June 26th, 2012, MAİY:2012/7130- Kan.Kar.D.Kan.Tet.ve İşl.Ş. 1258 issue, Article subject “Written Question”. 3. Ministry of National Defence, July 12th, 2012, MAİY:2012/7134- Kan.Kar.D.Kan.Tet.ve İşl.Ş. 1367 issue, Article subject “Written Question” 4. 22.06.2012 dated reply of the Ministry of National Defence to the 15.05.2012 dated Parliamentary Question

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