Law Enforcement in Turkey
From International Business Wiki
The Turkish National Police originated in the Ottoman Period. The police force was based with a militaristic perspective. The first police organization in Turkey was established on April 10, 1845 in Istanbul. Police organizations were revised in 1909 just after the First World War. Several provisions have been made since then as the times and conditions of the country have changed. Today, the central police of Turkey are known as the General Directorate of the police (Emniyet Genel Mϋdϋrlϋğϋ). The General Directorate of the Police, or the EGM, is the armed national and civil force in Turkey and is headquartered in the Turkish capital Ankara. The Turkish central police officers may be spotted driving through the streets of one of the many provinces in Turkey in a white car with a blue stripe on the side. The side of the car also has the world “Polis” written as well as the seal of the Turkish police. In Turkey, there are traffic cops, motorcycle units, and many other special task forces. No matter what type of police unit an officer falls under, the responsibilities of the EGM are all the same and are defined by the “Law on Duties and Powers of the Police” created in April 1934. Some of the duties that were outlined for the Turkish police include the following: • Provide public order • Provide security of properties and persons • Protect personal and public property • Protect integrity of the state • Preserve constitutional order
The central police in Turkey operates under the Ministry of the Interior which in turn carries out police functions through the General Directorate of the police. There are currently 81 police directorates in Turkey, one for each province. In provinces, the police operate under the command of governors (vali) and district governors (kaymakam). The civil administrators (mulki amir) are responsible for the well being and security of districts and towns. The police operates within the civil administration and carries out its duties under the command of civil authority. Similar to the United States 911 call, the people in Turkey dial the numbers 155 all over Turkey in the event of an emergency. Along with the General Directorate of the police, there are other police forces in Turkey. The Special Forces unit in Turkey is called the Ozel Haraket Tim, which is similar to the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Central Intelligence Agency in the United States. The Gendarmerie is a special commando unit of the police that is the main counter- terrorist unit in Turkey. The Gendarmerie is also responsible for hostage rescue, anti hijacking, riot control and under certain circumstances the Gendarmerie falls under military command. Training for police officers was originally a one year in service training in high schools. Later Turkey implemented a Police Institute which in 1940 required two years of training. In 1962 the amount of years of training changed to three and eventually in 1980 it became four years. In 1984 the four year graduate degree training program was named the Police Academy under the Police Higher Education Law. Later in April 2001 the Police Academy became the Police University, which it is still known as today. The influence political parties have on police lead the Turkish National Police to be a corrupt and under educated force. The Turkish National Police is widely known today as a brutal and overpowering police force. Police brutality in Turkey has been one of the most newsworthy occurrences across the world.
References:
Intelligence Profile: Turkey. Retrieved October 29, 2007 from http://www.cvni.net/radio/nsnl/nsnl090/nsnl90tr.html.
Policing Profiles of Participating and Partner States. Retrieved October 29, 2007 from http://polis.osce.org/countries/details?item_id=74.
Turkey: Police System. Retrieved October 29, 2007 from http://www.interpol.int/public/Region/Europe/pjsystems/turkey.asp#21.
Turkish Police Academy. Retrieved October 31, 2007 from http://www.pa.edu.tr/eng/index.php?sayfa=history.
