To restructure military units to meet evolving security risks and requirements, the Turkish Armed Forces (TAF) has increased the number of its commando brigades from four to 25 over the last two decades.
Defense Minister Yaşar Güler announced that the new target is to reach a total of 40 brigades.
Until the 1990s, the TAF maintained only the Bolu Mountain Commando Division and the Kayseri Airborne Division. To support counter-terrorism operations, a transition was made from a division-based structure to a brigade-based structure, and the Hakkari Mountain Commando Brigade was established in 1993, followed by the Siirt Commando Brigade in 1994. Between 2006 and 2008, then-Chief of General Staff Yaşar Büyükanıt and Land Forces Commander İlker Başbuğ initiated a project to significantly increase the number of commando brigades, initially establishing five new units.
In addition to the commando and Special Forces units under the Land Forces, two Gendarmerie commando brigades and Gendarmerie Special Operations (JÖH) teams are currently deployed in Southeastern Anatolia.
Although the government’s 'Terror-Free Turkey' initiative is in its second year, Güler revealed plans to expand the number of commando brigades from 25 to 40 within the next three years.
“By executing diverse missions ranging from direct armed struggle to capacity building, we have achieved success against terrorism across six different operational zones simultaneously. These brigades have proven themselves on the battlefield and are the units that best implement the hybrid warfare techniques that have gained prominence today,” Güler said at a conference in Ankara on April 10, held to mark the 74th anniversary of NATO.
TAF TO COMMAND NATO’S ARF FROM 2028
In addition, Güler briefly announced that Turkey will assume command of NATO's most critical and strategic force, the Allied Reaction Force (ARF), for a two-year period starting in 2028, emphasizing that Turkey will continue to play a central role in European security.
Two weeks earlier, reports emerged of the Defense Ministry’s preparations to establish a NATO Multinational Corps Headquarters (MNC-TÜR) in Yüreğir, Adana and a Combined Task Force Black Sea Headquarters (CTF BLACK) within the Istanbul Bosphorus Command campus. An official statement followed the press reports, leading the opposition to accuse the government of taking decisions without consulting parliament.
The ARF is a high-readiness, multinational, and multi-domain NATO force established on July 1, 2024, to replace the NATO Response Force (NRF). It provides a rapidly deployable, division-strength intervention force designed to address modern security challenges like hybrid warfare, deterrence, and crisis management under the Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR).
It acts as a rapid response tool, able to deploy within 10 days to deter escalation or manage crises. It supports NATO’s core tasks of deterrence, defense, and crisis management.
The ARF includes land, maritime, air, Special Operations Forces, cyber, space, logistics and strategic communications elements. It is a robust, multi-domain force that can be rapidly reinforced with additional units as needed.
Turkey currently takes the lead of the ARF’s Air Component Command for 2025-2026.
