17 January 2019

Recent changes in the Turkish military have highlighted divisions over strategy

• Rising star Metin Temel has been unexpectedly demoted amid rumours of tensions with his superiors
• Temel headed Turkey’s two large-scale military operations in Syria and is seen as close to President Erdogan
• The change comes amid differnces over Turkey’s strategy following the recent US decision to withdraw from the Syrian conflict

On December 31, General Metin Temel, commander of the Second Army, which is charged with protecting Turkey’s southern border, and Brigadier General Mustafa Barut, a key Temel ally and commander of the Fourth Commando Brigade, were reassigned by presidential decree to the Evaluation and Inspection Division of the Turkish General Staff. Their reassignments from the field to desk jobs represent a significant demotion for one of the army’s rising stars and reflects tension in the military hierarchy.

Temel is a high-profile commander best known for...

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