Topic summary

Gendarmerie General Command

Gendarmerie General Command

The Gendarmerie General Command (Turkish: Jandarma Genel Komutanlığı) is the national gendarmerie force of Turkey. It is a service branch of the Ministry of Interior responsible for the maintenance of the public order in areas that fall outside the jurisdiction of the General Directorate of Security (generally in rural areas), as well as assuring internal security along with carrying out other specific duties assigned to it by certain laws and regulations. The Commander of the Gendarmerie reports to the Minister of the Interior.

The Gendarmerie has its roots in the Ottoman Empire military law enforcement organization "Subaşı" (later known as the "Zaptiye"). A similar, earlier force called "Şurta" existed during the medieval Seljuk Empire.