Turkish 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

Flag of Turkey

The flag of Turkey is a red flag with a white crescent moon and a star in its centre. The flag is called Ayyıldız or Albayrak . The Turkish flag is referred to as Alsancak in the Turkish National Anthem....

, pointing upwards.

Decoration (regular size)

Made of eight pieces

• Metal: Bronze
  Bronze
  Bronze is a metal alloy consisting primarily of copper, usually with tin as the main additive. It is hard and brittle, and it was particularly significant in antiquity, so much so that the Bronze Age was named after the metal...
  
  
• Minting: 5 micrometre polished silver
  Silver
  Silver is a metallic chemical element with the chemical symbol Ag and atomic number 47. A soft, white, lustrous transition metal, it has the highest electrical conductivity of any element and the highest thermal conductivity of any metal...
  
  -plating
• Weight: 54 grams
• Diameter: 6 cm

Decoration (miniature size)

Made of three pieces

• Metal: Bronze
• Minting: 5 micrometre polished silver-plating
• Weight: 14 grams
• Diameter: 1 cm

Criteria

During war or peace, it is bestowed upon individuals whose contributions to the strengthening of the Turkish Armed Forces (TAF) have been extraordinarily high. In other words, it is awarded to any individual that has served national interests with exemplary determination and has contributed greatly to the prestige and strength of the TAF. This encompasses any military, scientific, material or administrative contribution, in or outside the territory of the Republic of Turkey, that has been greater than any of that person's predecessors thanks to his/her great courage and self-sacrifice.

The medal can be given to civilians or soldiers, regardless of nationality. Its bestowment is proposed by any of the Commanders of the four branches of the TAF, namely the Army

Turkish Army

The Turkish Army or Turkish Land Forces is the main branch of the Turkish Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. The modern history of the army began with its formation after the collapse of the Ottoman Empire...

, the Navy

Turkish Navy

The Turkish Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the Turkish Armed Forces.- Ottoman fleet after Mudros :Following the demise of the Ottoman Empire in the aftermath of World War I, on November 3, 1918, the fleet commander of the Ottoman Navy, Liva Amiral Arif Pasha, ordered all flags to be...

, the Air Force

Turkish Air Force

The Turkish Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the Turkish Armed Forces. It ranks 3rd in NATO in terms of fleet size behind the USAF and Royal Air Force with a current inventory of 798 aircraft .-Initial stages:...

 or the Gendarmerie

Turkish Gendarmerie

The Turkish Gendarmerie is a branch of the Turkish Armed Forces and it is responsible for the maintenance of the public order in areas that fall outside the jurisdiction of police forces , as well as assuring internal security and general border control along with carrying out other specific...

 (with the exception of the Commander of the fifth branch, the Coast Guard

Turkish Coast Guard

The Turkish Coast Guard is a branch of the Turkish Armed Forces and was established in 1859.-Organization:...

). The outcome of any proposition depends on the approval of the Chief of the General Staff

Chief of the Turkish General Staff

The General Staff of the Republic of Turkey presides over the Armed Forces of the Republic of Turkey, comprising the Army, Navy and Air Force...

.

See also

• Medal of Independence (Turkey)
• Turkish Armed Forces Medal of Honor
  Turkish Armed Forces Medal of Honor
  Turkish 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 Courage and Self-Sacrifice
  Turkish Armed Forces Medal of Distinguished Courage and Self-Sacrifice
  Turkish 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:...