Hilmi Özkök
Encyclopedia
General Hilmi Özkök was the 24th Chief of the General Staff of the Turkish Armed Forces
. He took up that post on August 28, 2002 and served until August 30, 2006 when he retired and was succeeded by General Yaşar Büyükanıt
.
Özkök has expressed support for Turkey's alignment with the European Union
, sought a reduced role for the National Security Council
, and opposed his peers' plans to stage a coup.
, Manisa Province
and has been a career soldier. He was educated at the Isiklar (Işıklar) Military High School in Bursa
and went from there in 1957 to complete a two year course at the Turkish Military Academy
.
, Manisa Province
and has been a career soldier. He was educated at the Isiklar (Işıklar) Military High School in Bursa
and went from there in 1957 to complete a two year course at the Turkish Military Academy
.
, Manisa Province
and has been a career soldier. He was educated at the Isiklar (Işıklar) Military High School in Bursa
and went from there in 1957 to complete a two year course at the Turkish Military Academy
. Özkök left there as a second lieutenant
in the artillery
. He studied at the Army War College and the NATO Defence College in the 1970s.
He is married to Özenç Özkök and has two children.
In his retirement he is pursuing photography and poetry.
. He was promoted to Brigadier General
in 1984 and worked as Chief of Planning and Operations for the General Staff (TGS). From 1986-1988 he commanded the 70th Infantry Brigade and on his promotion to Major General
in 1988 he commanded the 28th Infantry Division. He returned to the TGS in 1990 and was promoted to Lieutenant General
in 1992 when he was sent to Brussels
to head the Turkish NATO Military Delegation for three years.
On August 30, 1996 Özkök was promoted to full general
and took charge of the NATO Allied Land Forces South-Eastern Europe (LANDSOUTHEAST) located in İzmir
. He returned again to the TGS in 1998, this time as Deputy Chief. After a brief stint as the Commander of the First Army in Istanbul, he was made Commander of the Turkish Army in 2002, succeeding Hüseyin Kıvrıkoğlu
. He served as Chairman until his retirement on August 30, 2006.
The Chronicle said that during his tenure as the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, he opposed the plans of some of his peers who wanted to stage another coup d'etat
and narrowly evaded assassination with a tip-off from the CIA on 3 February 2004. Major general Fehmi Büyükbayram of the Ankara central garrison changed Özkök's schedule in order to protect him. Another attempt was allegedly prevented with a tip-off from the United Kingdom. Özkök recognized the allegations made in the Chronicle, but rejected some of the others, saying that the military would have taken the necessary precautions had they been true. In a 2007 interview Özkök said that he did not eat from the army canteen. People inferred that he feared poisoning, but Özkök replied that he merely wanted healthier food.
Turkish Armed Forces
The Turkish Armed Forces are the military forces of the Republic of Turkey. They consist of the Army, the Navy , and the Air Force...
. He took up that post on August 28, 2002 and served until August 30, 2006 when he retired and was succeeded by General Yaşar Büyükanıt
Yasar Büyükanit
General Mehmet Yaşar Büyükanıt was the 25th Chief of the Turkish General Staff of the Turkish Armed Forces, from 28 August 2006 to 28 August 2008.-Biography:...
.
Özkök has expressed support for Turkey's alignment with the European Union
Accession of Turkey to the European Union
Turkey's application to accede to the European Union was made on 14 April 1987. Turkey has been an associate member of the European Union and its predecessors since 1963...
, sought a reduced role for the National Security Council
National Security Council (Turkey)
The National Security Council comprises the Chief of Staff, select members of the Council of Ministers, and the President of the Republic...
, and opposed his peers' plans to stage a coup.
Education and personal life
Hilmi Özkök was born in TurgutluTurgutlu
Turgutlu is a very large town and district of Manisa Province in the Aegean region of Turkey. According to the 2009 census, population of the district is 140,753 of which 115930 live in the city of Turgutlu.The district covers an area of and the city lies at an elevation of...
, Manisa Province
Manisa Province
Manisa Province is a province in western Turkey. Its neighboring provinces are İzmir to the west, Aydın to the south, Denizli to the south east, Uşak to the east, Kütahya to the north east, and Balıkesir to the north...
and has been a career soldier. He was educated at the Isiklar (Işıklar) Military High School in Bursa
Bursa, Turkey
Bursa is a city in northwestern Turkey and the seat of Bursa Province. The metropolitan area in the entire Bursa province had a population of 2.6 million as of 2010, making the city fourth most populous in Turkey. The city is equally one of the most industrialized metropolitan centers in the...
and went from there in 1957 to complete a two year course at the Turkish Military Academy
Kara Harp Okulu
The Turkish Military Academy, , is a four year co-educational military academy located in the center of Ankara. Its mission is to develop cadets mentally and physically for service as commissioned officers in the Turkish Army...
.
Education and personal life
Hilmi Özkök was born in TurgutluTurgutlu
Turgutlu is a very large town and district of Manisa Province in the Aegean region of Turkey. According to the 2009 census, population of the district is 140,753 of which 115930 live in the city of Turgutlu.The district covers an area of and the city lies at an elevation of...
, Manisa Province
Manisa Province
Manisa Province is a province in western Turkey. Its neighboring provinces are İzmir to the west, Aydın to the south, Denizli to the south east, Uşak to the east, Kütahya to the north east, and Balıkesir to the north...
and has been a career soldier. He was educated at the Isiklar (Işıklar) Military High School in Bursa
Bursa, Turkey
Bursa is a city in northwestern Turkey and the seat of Bursa Province. The metropolitan area in the entire Bursa province had a population of 2.6 million as of 2010, making the city fourth most populous in Turkey. The city is equally one of the most industrialized metropolitan centers in the...
and went from there in 1957 to complete a two year course at the Turkish Military Academy
Kara Harp Okulu
The Turkish Military Academy, , is a four year co-educational military academy located in the center of Ankara. Its mission is to develop cadets mentally and physically for service as commissioned officers in the Turkish Army...
.
Education and personal life
Hilmi Özkök was born in TurgutluTurgutlu
Turgutlu is a very large town and district of Manisa Province in the Aegean region of Turkey. According to the 2009 census, population of the district is 140,753 of which 115930 live in the city of Turgutlu.The district covers an area of and the city lies at an elevation of...
, Manisa Province
Manisa Province
Manisa Province is a province in western Turkey. Its neighboring provinces are İzmir to the west, Aydın to the south, Denizli to the south east, Uşak to the east, Kütahya to the north east, and Balıkesir to the north...
and has been a career soldier. He was educated at the Isiklar (Işıklar) Military High School in Bursa
Bursa, Turkey
Bursa is a city in northwestern Turkey and the seat of Bursa Province. The metropolitan area in the entire Bursa province had a population of 2.6 million as of 2010, making the city fourth most populous in Turkey. The city is equally one of the most industrialized metropolitan centers in the...
and went from there in 1957 to complete a two year course at the Turkish Military Academy
Kara Harp Okulu
The Turkish Military Academy, , is a four year co-educational military academy located in the center of Ankara. Its mission is to develop cadets mentally and physically for service as commissioned officers in the Turkish Army...
. Özkök left there as a second lieutenant
Second Lieutenant
Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces.- United Kingdom and Commonwealth :The rank second lieutenant was introduced throughout the British Army in 1871 to replace the rank of ensign , although it had long been used in the Royal Artillery, Royal...
in the artillery
Artillery
Originally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons...
. He studied at the Army War College and the NATO Defence College in the 1970s.
He is married to Özenç Özkök and has two children.
In his retirement he is pursuing photography and poetry.
Career
After graduating from the Army War College in 1972, Özkök moved into military staff, initially with the Special Weapons Branch of the Allied Forces Southern Europe (AFSOUTH), and then at SHAPESupreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe
Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe is the central command of NATO military forces. It is located at Casteau, north of the Belgian city of Mons...
. He was promoted to Brigadier General
Brigadier General
Brigadier general is a senior rank in the armed forces. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries, usually sitting between the ranks of colonel and major general. When appointed to a field command, a brigadier general is typically in command of a brigade consisting of around 4,000...
in 1984 and worked as Chief of Planning and Operations for the General Staff (TGS). From 1986-1988 he commanded the 70th Infantry Brigade and on his promotion to Major General
Major General
Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
in 1988 he commanded the 28th Infantry Division. He returned to the TGS in 1990 and was promoted to Lieutenant General
Lieutenant General
Lieutenant General is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages where the title of Lieutenant General was held by the second in command on the battlefield, who was normally subordinate to a Captain General....
in 1992 when he was sent to Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
to head the Turkish NATO Military Delegation for three years.
On August 30, 1996 Özkök was promoted to full general
General
A general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....
and took charge of the NATO Allied Land Forces South-Eastern Europe (LANDSOUTHEAST) located in İzmir
Izmir
Izmir is a large metropolis in the western extremity of Anatolia. The metropolitan area in the entire Izmir Province had a population of 3.35 million as of 2010, making the city third most populous in Turkey...
. He returned again to the TGS in 1998, this time as Deputy Chief. After a brief stint as the Commander of the First Army in Istanbul, he was made Commander of the Turkish Army in 2002, succeeding Hüseyin Kıvrıkoğlu
Hüseyin Kivrikoglu
Hüseyin Kıvrıkoğlu is a Turkish general who was the Commander of the Turkish Armed Forces and on August 30, 1998, became Chief of the Turkish General Staff for a four-year term.-Biography:...
. He served as Chairman until his retirement on August 30, 2006.
The Chronicle said that during his tenure as the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, he opposed the plans of some of his peers who wanted to stage another coup d'etat
Coup d'état
A coup d'état state, literally: strike/blow of state)—also known as a coup, putsch, and overthrow—is the sudden, extrajudicial deposition of a government, usually by a small group of the existing state establishment—typically the military—to replace the deposed government with another body; either...
and narrowly evaded assassination with a tip-off from the CIA on 3 February 2004. Major general Fehmi Büyükbayram of the Ankara central garrison changed Özkök's schedule in order to protect him. Another attempt was allegedly prevented with a tip-off from the United Kingdom. Özkök recognized the allegations made in the Chronicle, but rejected some of the others, saying that the military would have taken the necessary precautions had they been true. In a 2007 interview Özkök said that he did not eat from the army canteen. People inferred that he feared poisoning, but Özkök replied that he merely wanted healthier food.
Awards
- (Turkish) State Medal of Honor
- Turkish Armed Forces Medal of HonorTurkish Armed Forces Medal of HonorTurkish Armed Forces Medal of Honor is the highest medal that can be bestowed upon an individual by the Turkish Armed Forces and was first created on July 27, 1967.- General :...
- Turkish Armed Forces Medal of Distinguished ServiceTurkish Armed Forces Medal of Distinguished ServiceTurkish Armed Forces Medal of Distinguished Service was first created on July 27, 1967 and took its current form on July 29, 1983.-General:Five large and five small stars on dark blue background circling an insignia of a crescent moon and a star on red background, the symbol of the Turkish flag,...
- Turkish Armed Forces Medal of Distinguished Courage and Self-SacrificeTurkish Armed Forces Medal of Distinguished Courage and Self-SacrificeTurkish Armed Forces Medal of Distinguished Courage and Self-Sacrifice is one of the highest medals that can be bestowed upon an individual by the Turkish Armed Forces and was first created on July 3, 1975.-General:...
- U.S. Legion Of MeritLegion of MeritThe Legion of Merit is a military decoration of the United States armed forces that is awarded for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievements...
- AlbaniaAlbaniaAlbania , officially known as the Republic of Albania , is a country in Southeastern Europe, in the Balkans region. It is bordered by Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, the Republic of Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south and southeast. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea...
Golden Eagle - Pakistani Medal of Nishan-I Imtiaz
- Great Cross for Military Merit of SpainSpainSpain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
- France Medal of MeritOrdre National du MériteThe Ordre national du Mérite is an Order of State awarded by the President of the French Republic. It was founded on 3 December 1963 by President Charles de Gaulle...
- Republic of Korea Tong-Il Medal.