President Reçep Tayyip Erdo?an, who was sworn into office again on June 2, re-structured his Armed Forces leadership, removing all leaders who had held NATO appointments.

Türkiye, as a result, has stopped attempting to balance its NATO membership off against its commitments to Russia. It has, de facto, now thrown in its lot with Eurasia.

The new appointments come amidst a crisis in the Turkish Armed Forces which have seen, in recent years, a marked decline in the professionalism of key officers. President Erdo?an has favored political loyalty to him over operational experience, often replacing professional military leaders with Gendarmerie (Jendarma) generals.

The Turkish Supreme Military Council (Yüksek Askerî ?ûra: YA?) met on Aug. 3, at the Presidential Palace under the chairmanship of President Erdo?an, with the main focus on the annual reviews of the senior officers of the Turkish Armed Forces (Türk Silahl? Kuvvetleri: TSK). Before the meeting, and in accordance with protocol, the president accompanied members of the YA? to the mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, where he laid a wreath and signed the Official Book, in which, after praising the rôle of the Armed Forces, referred to the new strategic goal of the country as the "Century of Turkey," promising "an increase in the strength of the army."