Necdet Özel

Necdet Özel
28th Chief of the General Staff
In office
30 July 2011  18 August 2015
President Abdullah Gül
Recep Tayyip Erdoğan
Preceded by Işık Koşaner
Succeeded by Hulusi Akar
Personal details
Born 1950 (age 6566)
Ankara, Turkey
Awards TAF Courage and Self-Sacrifice Medal
TAF Distinguished Service Medal
TAF Medal of Honor
Romanian Military Legion of Merit
Hero of the Kyrgyz Republic
Mongolian Distinguished Service Medal
Korean Republic National Security Legion of Merit
Saudi Arabia King Abdulaziz Medal of Excellent Rank
Jordan Excellent Gendarmerie Medal
Military service
Allegiance  Turkey
Service/branch Turkish Armed Forces
Years of service 1969–2015 (46 years)
Rank General
Commands Chief of the General Staff
Commander of Land Forces
Commander of Gendarmerie
2nd Army Command
Aegean Army Command
Training and Doctrine Command
7th Corps Command
39th Mechanized Infantry Command
Chief of Internal Security Operations
172nd Armored Brigade Command
17th Infantry Regiment Command

General Necdet Özel (born 1950) was a Turkish Army general, who served as the 28th Chief of the General Staff[1] of the Turkish Armed Forces. He also served as the commander of the Turkish Land Forces. General Necdet Özel is only the second in this position not to have NATO experience.[2]

Early life and education

Özel was born in 1950 in Ankara. He graduated from the Military Academy in 1969 and the Infantry School in 1970.

Military career

Özel served as a platoon leader and company commander in various units of the Turkish Land Forces Command (TLFC) until 1978. Following his graduation from Army War College in 1980 as a staff officer, he respectively served as Operations Plan Officer at Turkish Peace Forces HQ in Cyprus, Branch Chief and then as the Secretary General at the General Secretariat of Turkish Land Forces, Chief of Staff at the Turkish Military Academy, and as the Commander of the 17th Infantry Regiment.

Having promoted to Brigadier General in 1995, he served as the Commander of the 172nd Armored Brigade and as the Chief of Internal Security Operations Department, TLFC.

After his promotion to Major General in 1999, he assumed the command of the 39th Mechanized Infantry Division and of the Army War College.

High command

In 2003, he was promoted to Lieutenant General and served as the Commander of the 7th Corps and then as the Deputy Commander of Training and Doctrine Command, TLFC.

As a General, he served as the Commander of Aegean Army between 2007–2008, as the Commander of the 2nd Army between 2008–2010, and as the Commander of Gendarmerie between 2010–2011. After serving as the Commander of TLFC and as the Acting Commander of the Turkish Armed Forces between 29 July and 4 August 2011, he assumed the command of Turkish Armed Forces (TAF) on 4 August 2011. Between 4 August 2011 and 18 August 2015, he serves as the 28th Chief of the Turkish General Staff, succeeded by Hulusi Akar.[3]

Awards

Özel was awarded the TAF Courage and Self-Sacrifice Medal, TAF Distinguished Service Medal, TAF Medal of Honor, Romanian Military Legion of Merit, Hero of the Kyrgyz Republic, Mongolian Distinguished Service Medal, Korean Republic National Security Legion of Merit, Saudi Arabia King Abdulaziz Medal of Excellent Rank and Jordan Excellent Gendarmerie Medal.

Personal life

Özel is married to Kamuran Özel. They have one child.

References

  1. "Biography of the Commander". Retrieved May 21, 2014.
  2. Bozkurt, Abdullah (2011-07-31). "Profile of Necdet Özel: An army man with strong democratic credentials". Today's Zaman. Retrieved 2015-08-19.
  3. "Orgeneral Hulusi Akar bu mesajla göreve başladı". Habertürk (in Turkish). 2015-08-19. Retrieved 2015-08-19.
Military offices
Preceded by
Avni Atila Işık
Commander of the Turkish Gendarmerie
24 August 2010 – 29 July 2011
Succeeded by
Bekir Kalyoncu
Preceded by
Erdal Ceylanoğlu
Commander of the Turkish Army
29 July 2011 – 4 August 2011
Succeeded by
Hayri Kıvrıkoğlu
Preceded by
Işık Koşaner
Chief of the General Staff of Turkey
4 August 2011 – 18 August 2015
Succeeded by
Hulusi Akar
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