I had a distinguished career in the Turkish Army, retiring in 2017. Over the course of my military service, I commanded at multiple levels, including company, battalion, and brigade, leading high-profile operations in Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq, and Bosnia-Herzegovina. My last command was the 4th Commando Brigade, where I led operations during Operation Euphrates Shield—Turkey’s military campaign against ISIS in Syria—from October 2016 to August 2017.
Before assuming brigade command, I served as a senior researcher at the NATO Defense College in Rome, Italy, contributing to strategic defense studies. In 2015, I was the Director of Operations at the Resolute Support Mission’s Train, Advise, and Assist Command (TAAC) – Capital in Kabul, Afghanistan, overseeing NATO’s efforts to support Afghan security forces.
From 2013 to 2015, I was the Chief of the Education and Training Department at the NATO Centre of Excellence – Defence Against Terrorism (COE-DAT) in Ankara, Turkey. In addition to my operational roles, I have an academic background, having taught graduate-level courses on Terrorism and Counterterrorism and Internal Security Policies at the Turkish Military Academy.
Earlier in my career, I also served for more than a decade in the Turkish Special Forces, gaining extensive experience in unconventional warfare, counterterrorism, and special operations.