Theoretically, as far as security and public order services and duties are concerned, the Gendarmerie General Command (JGK) is a military security force operating by all appearances under the Ministry of Internal Affairs in times of peace and under the command of the land forces as part of the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) in times of war.
In practice, however, the JGK is a TSK component operating under the command of the General Staff, as confirmed by its duties in the armed forces, organizational precepts, budget, promotion system and personnel training and education. Due to the blurred boundaries of its structure, the JGK's law and order duties have faced serious weaknesses as it bars coordinated activities with the police, which is affiliated with the Interior Ministry, to ensure internal security.
Worst of all is the JGK's reputation, which has long been tainted by its alleged association to the clandestine JİTEM, the intelligence unit of the gendarmerie whose existence has been repeatedly denied. Retired Gen. Veli Küçük, who was jailed early last year after he was captured in a police raid to crack down on a gang known as Ergenekon, said in a statement that he was the founder of JİTEM.
JİTEM has allegedly been linked to around 17,000 unsolved murders in the country. There are now expectations that JİTEM's involvement in all the alleged illegal activities will be probed as part of the Ergenekon investigation.
In the midst of the allegations against the JGK, the organization has finally launched a long-awaited program with the EU last week as part of efforts to bring this institution in line with EU standards, which requires that Turkey's paramilitary force answers to civilian authorities.
Bearing in mind the strong resistance from the JGK against its subordination to civilian authorities and the lack of a strong political will to enable this institution to abide by democratic standards, the latest EU program will remain limited. But it marks at least a step toward the creation of a JGK that respects human rights in the long term.
The EU twinning project "Training of Gendarmerie Officers on Human Rights" was launched on Feb. 11 in Ankara with 2 million euros funded by the union.
"The project will help increase the knowledge and skills of the Turkish gendarmerie on European human rights and the rule of law, the respect of which is vital for the functioning of democratic systems. This aim will be achieved through training and other capacity-building activities, facilitating effective implementation of these standards at the national level," said an EU statement released on Feb. 10.
The 18-month training of 200 JGK officers that started in October is being supported by the Italian Carabinieri and the Spanish Guardia Civil. "Besides training, the project will develop standards concerning the physical conditions of statement-taking rooms and provide for the refurbishment and equipment of 30 pilot statement-taking rooms. Finally, means to strengthen cooperation and coordination between the gendarmerie, police, prosecutors and lawyers during judicial investigations will be elaborated," said the EU statement.
Tibor Varadi, deputy head of the delegation of the European Commission to Turkey, said on this occasion that the big challenge for Turkey during the accession process is to create stable institutions that are able to deliver their services, including security, to the citizens of the country in a way respectful of democratic principles and human rights.
The functioning of the gendarmerie -- a law enforcement agency responsible for 92 percent of Turkey's territory -- will not only be important throughout accession negotiations but also afterwards, as it will be one of the institutions in charge of implementing an important part of the acquis, Varadi added.
Varadi's remarks give us a strong clue of the problems that Turkey faces in bringing the JGK up to democratic standards as well as the critical importance of reforming the gendarmerie in addressing the country's serious problem of civilian-military relations.
Taking the floor during the launching ceremony of the project, Lt. Gen. Mustafa Bıyık, the gendarmerie chief of staff, said human rights, democracy and the supremacy of law are the contemporary values that all activities of public institutions should be built upon.
Hearing such remarks from a senior Turkish military officer is welcomed and raises hopes that, if not soon, in the medium term, the gendarmerie forces will come into line with democratic standards.
The JGK should also exert a serious effort to dissociate itself from illegal groups such as JİTEM. It will not only help Turkey succeed in ensuring law and order within the country, but it will also be accepted as a member of a democratic gathering of European gendarmerie forces.
