Gendarmerie Special Operations

Gendarmerie Special Operations
Active1991–1993 (Gendarmerie Commando "A" Teams), 1993-1999 (Gendarmerie Special Operations Groups) 1999–present (Gendarmerie Special Operations)
Country Turkey
BranchGendarmerie General Command
TypeSpecial forces
Garrison/HQAnkara Güvercinlik
Nickname(s)JÖH'ler
Motto(s)Shining Honor and Glory on Our Forehead
ColorsGold and black   
Mascot(s)Anatolian leopard
EngagementsKurdish–Turkish conflict (1978–present)

Operation Steel

Operation Dawn (1997)

Operation Sun

Operation Shah Euphrates

Operation Euphrates Shield

Operation Olive Branch

Operation Claw (2019)

Operation Peace Spring

The Gendarmerie Special Operations (Turkish: Jandarma Özel Harekat) or JÖH, is the special operations unit of the Turkish Gendarmerie General Command. Its tasks include search and destroy, infiltration, and reconnaissance. Members of the unit receive extensive training at the Jandarma School at Foça and also from selected Turkish Armed Forces instructors. All three of its companies work under the direction of the army regions to which they are assigned, but can also receive tasking from their headquarters in Ankara.[1][2][3][4][5]

About

[edit]

The GSO was established in 1991, at the height of the Turkish–Kurdish conflict. It has recently been involved in the Turkish occupation of northern Syria.[6] Unit members are in the 16-week training rooms at the Gendarmerie Commando Terrorist Operations School Command in Foça. All kinds of light weapons, mortar use, rocket launcher training, maneuvering under fire, destroying targets, mountaineering, GPS, long distance navigation, camouflage, being able to withstand fatigue and insomnia, making the right decision under stress, adaptation to different climate and geographical situations, fighting in urban areas, explosive recognition and detection, helicopter evacuation, basic helicopter steering, transition through waterways, basic diving, melee combat,[7] survival, boat operations.[8] A person who completes the course becomes a commando. Commando candidates run 300+ kilometers, walk more than 1100+ kilometers and stay in the field for 61 nights.[9] Trainees are expected to complete a 10 kilometer rifle run, a 15 kilometer country run, and a 30 kilometer strength run with full equipment. After the commando training, a sniper course is followed. The Gendarmerie Special Operations course lasts 6 months. The course is organized in Ankara, İzmir and Kayseri with land, air and sea phases.[10] Gendarmerie officers, non-commissioned officers and experts who have received basic gendarmerie commando training can attend the course. Combat training in severe cold in Kayseri or Bolu Basic diving in Ankara In İzmir Foça, the helicopter jump boat operator receives training such as close combat, forestry, airplane-bus-train operations, residential operation, frogman, special operations and Paratrooper.[11] Special operations candidates ran a total of 675+ kilometers under running conditions. At the end of the training, the student will have the ability to plan and conduct special operations in buildings, land, air and railway vehicles in all kinds of terrain and climatic conditions at home and abroad.

In Combat Physical Education classes, basic movements such as pull-ups, sit-ups and push-ups are performed. In addition, a training simulation called TAKSİS is conducted by TÜBİTAK.[12] Has at least 20,000 active personnel.[13] JÖHs are like the equivalent of maroon berets in the Turkish Armed Forces.[14]

Units

[edit]
Unit[15] Province Nick Name's Details
Hançerler JÖH Adıyaman Hançerler (Daggers) Badge [1][permanent dead link]
Mertler JÖH Ağrı Mertler (Braves) Symbols/ badge of unit is double-headed Anatholian Eagle(Seljuk) located behind

Mount Ararat.

Atmacalar JÖH Batman, Turkey Atmacalar (sparrow hawks) [2]
Kartallar JÖH Bingöl Kartallar (Eagles) [3]

Badge [4]

Roketler

JÖH

Diyarbakır Roketler

(Rockets)

[5]

Badge [6]

Serdarlar JÖH Elazığ Serdarlar

(Serdar means commander in Ottoman Turkish language)

Badge [7][permanent dead link]
Çelikler JÖH Erzurum Çelikler (Steels) takes its name from Operation Steel. most of the commanders from 25th Mechanized Infantry Brigade

[8][permanent dead link]

Badge [9]

Doğanlar

JÖH

Giresun Doğanlar (Falcons) Gendarmerie Chief Sergeant Ferhat Gedik killed together with Eren Bülbül (aged 15) as a result of an attack by PKK were a member of this unit.[16]

This unit is out of Kurdish–Turkish conflict (1978–present) zone and takes place in Black Sea Forest region. The reason behind for being outside of the conflict area is Revolutionary People's Liberation Party/Front or DHKP-C Insurgency

[10][11]

Fatihler JÖH Hakkari Fatihler (Conquerors) Badge [12][permanent dead link]

[13]

Efeler JÖH Hakkâri Province - Yüksekova Efeler (Efe (zeybek))

There is EfeMonument in Barracks [14]

First unit commit the counter offensive October 2007 clashes in Hakkâri

[15][16]

Badge : [17]

Parslar

JÖH

Hakkâri Province

Şemdinli

Parslar (Anatolian leopards) [18][permanent dead link]
Arslanlar

JÖH

Hatay Province Arslanlar (Lions) Newly formed unit since begin of Syrian Civil War to protect the border &Amanos Mountains. Also took place in Operation Olive Branch(closest unit in region)[19][20][permanent dead link]
Kafkaslar

JÖH

Kars Kafkaslar (Caucasus Mountains) [21][permanent dead link]
Yiğitler JÖH Mardin Province Yiğitler (Ironsides) One of the first unit.[22][permanent dead link]

symbol on Badge is Akinji [23][permanent dead link]

Kılıçlar JÖH Muş Province Kılıçlar (Kilijs) [24]
Dadaşlar JÖH Siirt Province Dadaş (Valiants) Badge [25]

Old Badge [26]

Bozkır Kartalları JÖH Sivas Province Kartallar (Steppe eagles) [27]
Meteler JÖH Şırnak Meteler(Modu Chanyu) Badge [28]
Korkutlar

JÖH

Osmaniye Korkut (name) Badge [29]
Oğuzlar & Yıldırımlar

JÖH

Van, Turkey Oḡuz Khan

Yildirim Bayazit

Badge [30][permanent dead link]
Panterler JÖH Tatvan Bitlis Leopard's Badge [31][permanent dead link]
Boralar

JÖH

Tokat Bora means (Strong wind) Badge [32][permanent dead link]
Şahinler

JÖH

Tunceli Buteo's Badge [33][permanent dead link]
Timsahlar JÖH[17] Bursa Crocodile Badge [34]
Avcılar

JÖH

İzmir Hunters Badge [35]
Tayfunlar

JÖH

Antalya, Akseki Typhoons -

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2016-09-21. Retrieved 2016-10-16.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  2. ^ "Turkey 'neutralized' over 2,000 terrorists in year". www.aa.com.tr. Retrieved 2019-11-07.
  3. ^ "Jandarma Özel Harekat Nedir? Kimler Başvurabilir?". www.kpssrehber.com. Retrieved 2019-11-07.
  4. ^ DHA. "'Kawa' yakalandı, JÖH'ler 'Aras'ın peşinde". www.hurriyet.com.tr (in Turkish). Retrieved 2019-11-07.
  5. ^ "Kağanlar". www.jandarma.gov.tr. Retrieved 2019-11-07.
  6. ^ "Turkey Deploys Special Forces to Syria's Afrin in Escalation Against the Kurds". Haaretz.
  7. ^ Foça Jandarma Komando Okulu YAKIN BOĞUŞMA, retrieved 2023-06-18
  8. ^ "Jandarma komandolar 'terörle mücadele' için göreve hazır". www.trthaber.com (in Turkish). 2021-09-10. Retrieved 2023-06-18.
  9. ^ "Terörle mücadeleye 'kadın komando astsubaylar' yetiştiriyorlar". www.aa.com.tr. Retrieved 2023-12-31.
  10. ^ "Jandarmanın seçkin komandoları zorlu görevler için zorlu eğitimlerden geçiyor - Yeni Akit". www.yeniakit.com.tr (in Turkish). Retrieved 2023-06-18.
  11. ^ "Jandarmanın seçkin komandoları zorlu görevler için zorlu eğitimlerden geçiyor". 2021-06-23. Archived from the original on 2021-06-23. Retrieved 2023-06-18.
  12. ^ "TAKSİS / Taktik Eğitim Sistemi | BİLİŞİM TEKNOLOJİLERİ ENSTİTÜSÜ". bte.bilgem.tubitak.gov.tr. Retrieved 2023-06-27.
  13. ^ "Özel Harekatçı sayısı 40 bine çıkıyor - Son Dakika Haberleri". www.hurriyet.com.tr. Retrieved 2023-08-01.
  14. ^ "TSK, komandoya ağırlık verdi, bu alandaki gücünü 10 kat artırdı". Independent Türkçe (in Turkish). 2020-12-10. Retrieved 2023-11-06.
  15. ^ "Jandarma Özel Harekat Birlikleri". Jandarma Forum (in Turkish). 2019-03-26. Retrieved 2019-11-07.
  16. ^ "Turkey hit by series of attacks". 2015-08-10. Retrieved 2019-11-07.
  17. ^ "Anadolu Ajansı". Anadolu Ajansı. Retrieved 2021-02-21.