Since the use of unmanned air vehicles becomes more and more widespread across the world and Turkey, and as they have to be kept under control for security reasons, the Law no. 2920 on Turkish Civilian Aviation’s previously abrogated Article 144 was rewritten. “The responsible managers and administrators of companies marketing unmanned air vehicles have to appropriately keep the records for sold vehicles and the IDs of the buyers, and communicate to a special registry system under the General Directorate of Civilian Aviation any information on unmanned air vehicles whose weight is equal to or more than 500 grams. These records are shared with law enforcement officials to prevent possible crimes or to investigate crimes committed.” In the continuation of the same article, one can find the sanctions to be imposed on those who do not comply with the obligations or flight rules determined by the Ministry of Transport, Maritime Affairs and Communications, General Directorate of Civil Aviation or superior civilian authorities (Executive Decree 674 Article 33). An amendment to the Executive Decree 375 introduced comprehensive regulations concerning the principles and procedures for the financial rights of the flight crew, pilot, technical personnel, task force / task commander in charge of unmanned air vehicles. (Executive Decree 696 Article 126)
In the Law no. 6586 on Establishment of the National Landmine Operations Center and Revision of Certain Laws, the name of the institution was changed into National Landmine Operations Center in both the title and articles (Executive Decree 671 Article17-19). Another amendment to the same law stipulated that the net salary to be paid to the contracted personnel will be determined by the Minister, but cannot be more than the 150% of the first-degree National Defense Expert (Executive Decree 690 Article 15). To the Law no. 6586, Article 4, the phrase “as an independent department subordinate to the Ministry” was added. An amendment to Article 5 paragraphs 2 and 3 changed the expression “General Director for General Plan and Principles” as “President of the National Landmine Operations Center Department” (Executive Decree 694 Article 173-174).
An amendment to the Law no. 1453 on Salaries of Military Officers and Functionaries stipulated that Gendarmerie General Command and Coast Guard Command’s de facto staffing positions determined for 2016 will apply until end-2016, and that the 2017 de facto staffing positions of the Gendarmerie General Command, Gendarmerie and Coast Guard Academy and Coast Guard Command will be set by the Turkish Parliament’s Plan and Budget Commission by end-2016 (Executive Decree 676 Article 38).
The following phrase was added to the Article 1 of the Law no. 4636 on Structure and Duties of the Ministry of National Defense Refueling and NATO POL Facilities Department: “Of the Coast Guard Command and Gendarmerie General Command” (Executive Decree 674 Article. 37).
In the Law no. 657 on the General Command of Cartography, the expression “for the defense of the fatherland” was replaced with the more comprehensive expression “for the generation of basic domestic and overseas cartographic information and geographical data for defense, security, intelligence, development, training and scientific research purposes. (Executive Decree 674 Article 42). An article was added to the same law to establish the Geographical Data Center, as a unit subordinate to the General Command of Cartography, aimed at meeting the basic geographical data needs of defense, security, intelligence and development institutions. A temporary article was added specifying that the appointments or transfers to this center and auxiliary units will not be subject to the limitations in the Central Government Budget Law (Executive Decree 674 Article 43-44).
An article was added to the Law on the General Command of Cartography stipulating that all information on buildings, facilities and other vertical structures jeopardizing flight safety that have been constructed, will be constructed or will be removed must be communicated to the General Command of Cartography (Executive Decree 691 Article 1).
New provisions were introduced owing to various recent food related problems in the Turkish Armed Forces, Gendarmerie General Command and Coast Guard Command (food supply and control issues, and soldier deaths due to food poisoning etc.).
An amendment to the Law no. 5996 on Veterinary Services, Plant Health, Food and Animal Feed provides that the Gendarmerie General Command’s and Coast Guard Command’s veterinary services, food, supervision and control services will be met by the Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Livestock, and in locations where this is not possible, by the relevant units of the Ministry of National Defense; the relevant principles and procedures will be determined jointly by the Ministries of National Defense, Interior and Agriculture & Livestock (Executive Decree 680 Article76). Another amendment to the same law sets forth that the analyses on the potable and tap water utilized by Turkish Armed Forces, Gendarmerie General Command and Coast Guard Command will be conducted, as per the applicable legislation, by the laboratories of the Ministry of Health, free-of-charge (Executive Decree 690 Article 23).
Another clause was added to the relevant article of this law, stipulating that in case the official supervision and controls by the Ministry of Health reveal any nonconformity, this law’s sanctionary provisions will not apply to the relevant units of the Turkish Armed Forces, Gendarmerie General Command and Coast Guard Command, and that the measures against such nonconformity will be taken by the command in charge (Executive Decree 690 Article 24).
An amendment to the Law no. 5715 on Patient Nutrition in Turkish Armed Forces, specifies that military students, conscripts and sergeants who were discharged by the Turkish Armed Forces’ in-patient treatment centers and other official health institutions may be given sufficient provisions depending on the distance they will travel until reaching their detachment or destination (Executive Decree 681 Article 86).
Changes were made to the Law no. 5668 on Nutrition in Turkish Armed Forces, Gendarmerie General Command and Coast Guard Command. These provisions focus on distinguishing between the military personnel of the Turkish Armed Forces and those of the Gendarmerie General Command and Coast Guard Command. Likewise, the recently established Gendarmerie and Coast Guard Academy was also added to the relevant articles (Executive Decree 694 Article 155-159). An addition to the same law provides that visitors who attend the oath-taking ceremony, symbolic military service and graduation will also eat from the same kitchen. (Executive Decree 696 Article 107)
In the Law no. 4925 on Highway Transportation, the article which listed the institutions not bound by the provisions of this law was expanded to include not only Turkish Armed Forces but also the Gendarmerie General Command, Coast Guard Command and General Directorate of Security (Executive Decree 678 Article 9).
In the Law no. 5018 on Public Finance Management and Control, the Gendarmerie General Command and Coast Guard Command are now mentioned separately from the Turkish Armed Forces (Executive Decree 678 Article 10).
A clause was added to the Law no. 3359 on Basic Health Services, specifying that those who conduct their military service as sub-lieutenant in locations jointly determined by the Ministry of Health and Ministry of National Defense can be exempted from their obligatory service to the state (Executive Decree 678 Article 25).
An amendment to the Law no. 1219 on the Application of Medicine and Medical Sciences has authorized those personnel who have undergone health training in the combatant units of the Turkish Armed Forces and the General Directorate of Security to engage in urgent medical interventions in the absence of health professionals, and within the limits of the emergency duties and locations of such personnel (Executive Decree 680 Article 25).
Additions and amendments were made to various articles of the Law no. 6245 on Allowances, due to the separation of Gendarmerie General Command and Coast Guard Command from the Turkish Armed Forces (Executive Decree 680 Article 31-34).
Likewise, the expression “Coast Guard Command” was added to the Law no. 2893 on the Turkish Flag, thus including Coast Guard Command among the institutions that shall hoist the flag, since it has been separated from the Turkish Armed Forces (Executive Decree 680 Article 49).
Certain articles of the Law no. 2918 on Highway Traffic, setting forth that the registration, documents and license plates of all Gendarmerie General Command and Coast Guard Command vehicles will be given by the General Directorate of Security, and that the license plate colors and separations used by the Gendarmerie General Command and Coast Guard Command -just like those of the General Directorate of Security- cannot be employed by other official or private institutions, and that the vehicle inspections of these three institutions will be carried out by themselves (Executive Decree 680 Article 51-62).
An amendment was made to the Law no. 3713 on Counterterrorism stipulating that, among the students of reserve officer schools, war schools, noncommissioned officer vocational colleges, Gendarmerie and Coast Guard Academy faculties and colleges, those who study at university faculties and colleges on behalf of Ministry of National Defense, Gendarmerie General Command and Coast Guard Command, those who used to study on their own behalf but then started studying on behalf of Ministry of National Defense, Gendarmerie General Command and Coast Guard Command, those studying on behalf of the General Directorate of Security at the Police Academy, Police Vocational Training Centers, or university faculties and colleges, those who were studying there on their own behalf but then started to study on behalf of the General Directorate of Security, those studying at schools established by the General Directorate of Security or National Intelligence Service, those who are undergoing basic and adoption training with a view to studying on behalf of the Ministry of National Defense, Gendarmerie General Command, Coast Guard Command or General Directorate of Security; those who do not have insurance as per Law no. 5510 on Social Security and General Health Insurance, who were victimized in terrorist attacks due to their education or training, and who meet the requirements for invalidity pension, shall be provided an invalidity pension if they are alive. If they have passed away, their legal heirs will be provided an invalidity pension (Executive Decree 680 Article 64).
An amendment was made to Law on Counterterrorism, so that, in addition to those who have become invalid due to war, duty or terrorist attack, individuals who were given the right to compensation due to their actions against the July 15 coup attempt will be offered chances of employment even if they are over 45 (Executive Decree 680 Article 79).
With amendments and additions to various articles of the Law no 5510 on Social Security and General Health Insurance, changes were made to wording as regards Gendarmerie General Command, Coast Guard Command and associated academies (Executive Decree 680 Article 73-74).
An amendment was made to the Law no 3359 on Basic Health Services, so that the Ministry of National Defense is now the institution responsible for deciding whether doctors, specialist doctors and specialists in minor branches can perform their obligatory service as civil servant or contracted health personnel in public agencies that demand such services, upon the approval of the Ministry of Health (Executive Decree 680 Article 78).
Wording changes were made to the Law no. 3212 on Sales, Donation, Transfer and Disposal of Turkish Armed Forces’ Redundant Goods and Services; Conducting Overseas and Domestic Sales on Behalf of Other States; Training of Foreign Personnel, so as to accommodate the separation of Coast Guard Command and Gendarmerie General Command from the Turkish Armed Forces, and to remove the Ministry of Interior (Executive Decree 681 Article55-59).
An amendment was made to the Law no. 5201 on the Supervision of Industrial Corporations Manufacturing War Equipment and Arms, Ammunition and Explosives, so that arms that figure in the annual lists and their ammunition and spare parts can be supplied to the domestic market by manufacturing or distribution companies, upon the consent of the Ministry of Interior and the approval of the Ministry of National Defense (Executive Decree 696 Article 91)
In the Law on Blood and Blood Products, the expression “martial law” was removed from Article 3(1) paragraph (g). In the Law on the Allocation of Cash Indemnity and Salary, Article 3 (2), the words “in martial law or state of emergency” were replaced with “state of emergency”. In the Law on Highway Transportation, Article 2(4), the expression “martial law” was removed (Executive Decree 698, Articles 34, 56, 62).
The expression “martial law” was removed from the texts of the Law on Contracted Commissioned and Noncommissioned Officers Employed by Turkish Armed Forces, Law on Noncommissioned Officer Vocational Colleges, Law on Contracted Privates and Sergeants (Executive Decree 700, Articles 134, 142, 194).