Three generals from the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) have submitted their resignations, including one who served as a commander of the Operation Peace Spring, a military offensive into Syria in October 2019, Cumhuriyet newspaper reported on Wednesday.
Major Gen. Hakan Öztekin, a commander in Operation Peace Spring targeting Kurdish forces in northern Syria, Brigadier Generals Mustafa Enis Koç and Orhan Akkurt have resigned and submitted applications for their retirement, the newspaper said. All of three generals were working assignments involved with Syrian operations. Metin Gürcan, a founding member of the Turkish Democracy and Progress Party (DEVA) and former Turkish military officer wrote on Wednesday that “the total number of resignations due to Syria has hit five today.”
All of generals asked for retirements, despite the fact that they have more years to serve, Gürcan added. Gürcan said these resignations show how the Syrian policies are not working and out of reality on the ground. Gürcan also added that these resignations might be because there is an increasing risk in Syria and both commanders as well as troops are tired of busy rotations to Syrian missions.
The resignations mark the latest in top brass parting ways with the TSK.
Earlier this week, Brigadier Gen. Metin Eştürk and Major Gen. Ercan Çorbacı submitted their resignations, T24 news site reported.
Earlier this month, Turkey stripped of their rank 14 retired generals who were convicted on coup charges for their role in a military intervention in 1997.
