With additions to the Article 3 of the Law on the Revision of the Law no. 3238 on the Establishment of the Undersecretariat of Defense Industry, and Law dated July 11, 1939 and no. 3670 on Foundation of the National Lottery Organization and Amendment of One Article of the Law dated October 23, 1984 and Law no. 3065 on Value Added Tax; Minister of Interior and the Director General of Public Security were included in the Defense Industry High Coordination Committee, which already includes Prime Minister (Committee Chair), Chief of General Staff, Minister of State in charge of the economy, Minister of National Defense, Minister of Finance and Customs, Minister of Industry and Trade, Force Commands, General Commander of the Gendarmerie, Undersecretary to the Prime Minister, Undersecretary of the State Planning Organization, Undersecretary of Treasury and Foreign Finance (Executive Decree 676 Article 30). However, a later amendment removed the name of this committee from among the definitions section of the law and the Articles 3 and 4 on the committee and its duties were abrogated (Executive Decree 696 Article 62).
An addition to the Article 5 of the same law has included the Minister of Interior to the Defense Industry Executive Committee which already includes Prime Minister, Chief of General Staff and Minister of National Defense (Executive Decree 676 Article 31).
However, a later amendment, found in Executive Decree 696, has stipulated that the Defense Industry Executive Committee will consist of Prime Minister, Chief of General Staff, Ministers of Defense and Interior, presided over by the President, and that in the absence of the latter, the Prime Minister will chair the meeting. The committee will convene upon the invitation of the President, and not the Prime Minister, the agenda items will be determined by the President and the secretary service will be entrusted to the Undersecretariat (Executive Decree Article 55). An amendment to the Article 7 of the law subordinates the Undersecretariat of Defense Industry not to the Ministry of National Defense but to the President, and the Undersecretariat of Defense Industry personnel will be appointed with the approval of the President; however the latter can delegate this authority to the Undersecretary (Executive Decree Article 57). The duties of the undersecretariat have been expanded to include “fulfilling other duties assigned by the President” (Executive Decree Article 59). Further the additional article stipulates that, as regards the Undersecretariat of Defense Industry, all the relevant references to ‘the Minister of National Defense’ will be replaced with ‘the President’ (Executive Decree Article 61).
In the article on the duties of the committee, it was added that it will act according to the security priorities of the Ministry of Interior when procuring and manufacturing arms and equipment for Gendarmerie General Command, Coast Guard Command and General Directorate of Security, that it will determine the amount of training necessary for enhancing defense industry human resources, and that resources can be transferred from the Fund for this purpose (Executive Decree Article 56, 60). Employment of contracted personnel has also become possible (Executive Decree Article 58).
It was set forth that in ongoing projects, the firm to be contracted will be chosen by the Committee, and that the Committee can transfer this authority to its members or to the Undersecretary of Defense Industry (Executive Decree Article 59).
In the old text, any urgent needs of the National Intelligence Service and the general Directorate of Security were being procured upon “the suggestion of the Undersecretary, the opinion of appropriateness of the Minister of National Defense and the approval of the Prime Minister”; the new text removed these requirements and stated that the Undersecretary’s decision is sufficient. As for the bank transfer of funds necessary for meeting the needs determined by the National Intelligence Service, the phrase “the opinion of appropriateness of the Minister of National Defense” was removed and replaced with “suggestion of the Undersecretary of the National Intelligence Service and the approval of the President” (Executive Decree Article 59).
An added article to the Law no. 3388 on the Turkish Armed Forces Foundation specifies that the Foundation’s board of trustees is chaired by the President and consists of the Minister of National Defense, Deputy Chief of General Staff, Undersecretary of National Defense and Undersecretary of Defense Industry. It is also stated that this provision will enter into force without waiting for the registration of the changes in the foundation’s voucher (Executive Decree Article 65-66). A phrase added to the law stipulates that the foundation’s properties and rights can be sold off or changed for more advantageous ones upon the decision of the foundation’s decision-making bodies (Executive Decree Article 64).