President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is poised to gain new powers that would allow him to extend the retirement age of Turkey’s top military commanders from 67 to 72, under a draft bill submitted by his ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) to parliament.
The amendment would grant Erdoğan the authority to prolong the service of the commanders of the Land Forces, Naval Forces, and Air Forces on a yearly basis beyond the current retirement threshold of 67, with an upper limit set at 72. The Chief of General Staff is already exempt from the age cap under existing law, and this new legislation would align other force commanders with that exception.
This move comes as several senior military officials approach mandatory retirement. Among them are Land Forces Commander Gen. Selçuk Bayraktaroğlu (64), Air Forces Commander Gen. Ziya Cemal Kadıoğlu (64), and Naval Forces Commander Adm. Ercüment Tatlıoğlu (65), all of whom would be affected by the proposed change within the next few years. If the bill passes, Erdoğan would be able to retain their services well into the 2030s—an unprecedented shift in military personnel policy.
In addition to extending retirement age limits, the bill proposes sweeping changes to promotion criteria within the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK). Under the proposed amendment, the requirement to have completed military academy or to be a designated staff officer would no longer be necessary to be promoted to high-ranking positions such as lieutenant general or rear admiral. Critics argue that this provision opens the door for political favoritism in promotions, undermining traditional standards of merit and training.
The draft legislation has already raised alarms among opposition parties and military experts, who view it as part of a broader effort by Erdoğan to exert greater control over state institutions, including the military—a traditionally independent and powerful force in Turkish political life. Since the failed coup attempt in 2016, the Erdoğan government has dramatically reshaped the command and administrative structure of the TSK, purging thousands of officers and placing key functions under direct civilian oversight.
“This is not just a technical change to military regulations—it’s a significant political maneuver,” said retired Brigadier General Naim Babüroğlu in a televised interview. “It allows the president to shape and control the upper echelons of the military for years to come.”
Supporters of the bill argue that the changes are necessary to retain experienced leadership during a period of heightened regional tensions and expanding military operations abroad. Turkey is currently engaged in military deployments in Syria, Iraq, Libya, the Caucasus, and the Eastern Mediterranean, and has taken a more assertive defense posture in recent years.
A senior AKP official, speaking on background, said the amendment is “about ensuring continuity in command and stability in national security operations,” particularly as Turkey modernizes its armed forces and faces complex external threats.
However, the timing of the legislation, coming just months before the Supreme Military Council’s annual meeting in August—where senior military appointments are decided—has led to speculation that the changes are also designed to block the rise of less politically aligned officers and extend the tenure of those loyal to Erdoğan.
In May, a related regulation was passed giving the president the power to dismiss lower-ranking officers, including colonels, without the need for a disciplinary board’s recommendation—further consolidating civilian control over the military hierarchy. That move, too, was criticized for sidelining institutional checks and bypassing due process.
Human rights groups, opposition lawmakers, and some former military officials warn that these cumulative reforms risk politicizing the military, eroding professionalism, and threatening Turkey’s democratic civil-military balance.
“The danger is not in one law, but in the direction these changes are heading,” said CHP lawmaker Murat Bakan, a member of parliament’s National Defense Committee. “Bit by bit, the safeguards that protect the neutrality of the armed forces are being dismantled.”
If passed, the bill would mark a significant departure from long-standing military norms and further entrench Erdoğan’s influence over one of the most powerful institutions in the country. With NATO’s second-largest military under increasingly centralized civilian control, observers say Turkey’s internal power dynamics are entering a new and uncertain phase.
The draft is expected to be debated in parliament in the coming weeks. Whether it passes without significant resistance will likely depend on how unified the AKP and its nationalist ally, the MHP, remain in supporting Erdoğan’s evolving civil-military agenda.
