The Tactical Mobilisation Group (TMG, tr, Seferberlik Taktik Kurulu) was the special operations unit of the Turkish Army. It was founded in 1952 as part of NATO's efforts to establish a Counter-Guerrilla force in Turkey as the Turkish branch of

Operation Gladio Operation Gladio is the codename for clandestine "stay-behind" operations of armed resistance that were organized by the Western Union (alliance), Western Union (WU), and subsequently by NATO and the CIA, in collaboration with several European Int ...

. It was disbanded in 1965, with special operations taken over by the new Special Warfare Department ( tr, Özel Harp Dairesi). In the 2000s it was revealed that the 1955 Istanbul pogrom was engineered by the TMG. Birand, Mehmet Ali. �
The shame of Sept. 6–7 is always with us
,” ''

Turkish Daily News Turkish may refer to: *a Turkic language spoken by the Turks * of or about Turkey ** Turkish language *** Turkish alphabet ** Turkish people, a Turkic ethnic group and nation *** Turkish citizen, a citizen of Turkey *** Turkish communities and mi ...

'', 7 September 2005.Ergil, Doğu. �
Past as present
,” ''

'' 12 September 2005. Turkish Land Forces General Sabri Yirmibeşoğlu, the right-hand man of General

Kemal Yamak Kemal Yamak (1924, in Merzifon – 26 July 2009) was Commander of the Turkish Army (1987–1989). He was previously head of the Special Warfare Department (1971–1974).'' Bugün'', 5 January 2010Kozmik odaya giren tek siyasetçi At the request ...

who organised the Counter-Guerrilla through the Tactical Mobilization Group, proudly reminisced about his involvement in the riots, calling the TMG "a magnificent organization".

History

With the consent of the National Defense Supreme Council ( tr, Milli Savunma Yüksek Kurulu), brigadier general

Daniş Karabelen Daniş Karabelen (1898–1983) was a Turkish Army general who was the founder of Turkey's Tactical Mobilisation Group in 1952, and served as its chief until his retirement in 1960. Career Karabelen was among those taken out of Military School in ...

founded the Tactical Mobilization Group ( tr, Seferberlik Taktik Kurulu, or STK) on 27 September 1952. Karabelen was one of sixteen soldiers (including Turgut Sunalp, Ahmet Yıldız,

Alparslan Türkeş Alparslan Türkeş (; 25 November 1917 – 4 April 1997) was a Turkish politician, who was the founder and president of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) and the Grey Wolves ''(Ülkü Ocakları)''. He represented the far-right of the Turkish ...

, Suphi Karaman, and Fikret Ateşdağlı) who had been sent to the United States in 1948 for training in

special warfare Special forces and special operations forces (SOF) are military units trained to conduct special operations. NATO has defined special operations as "military activities conducted by specially designated, organized, selected, trained and equip ...

. These people were to form the core of what would later be called the Special Warfare Department ( tr, Özel Harp Dairesi, or ÖHD). It has been said that the training also entailed an element of CIA recruitment. Some full generals that later ran the department were Adnan Doğu, Aydın İlter, Sabri Yirmibeşoğlu, İbrahim Türkgenci, Doğan Bayazıt, and Fevzi Türkeri. Karabelen picked Ismail Tansu as his right-hand man, and they expanded the STK in a

cellular Cellular may refer to: *Cellular automaton, a model in discrete mathematics * Cell biology, the evaluation of cells work and more * ''Cellular'' (film), a 2004 movie *Cellular frequencies, assigned to networks operating in cellular RF bands *Cell ...

fashion. They filled the ranks, mostly with reserve officers, inducted them with an oath, and educated them before allowing them to return to civilian life. The officers were given no weapons, funding, or immediate task. The recruitment was more concentrated in the east, where an invasion was most likely to occur.

References

{{Reflist Special forces of Turkey Counterterrorist organizations False flag operations Istanbul pogrom

History

See also

References