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Police Special Operation Department

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The Police Special Operations Department (Turkish: Polis Özel Harekât Dairesi) or Police Special Action[1] (Turkish: Polis Özel Harekât), abbreviated as PÖH, is the police tactical unit of the General Directorate of Security in Turkey. The force consists of 22,000 personnel, more than a thousand of whom are women.[2] It is also deployed as part of the Turkish occupation of northern Syria.[3]

Polis Özel Harekât Dairesi
Active1983–present
Country Turkey
BranchGeneral Directorate of Security
TypePolice tactical unit
RoleCounter-terrorism
Law enforcement
Size22,000
Part ofRespective municipality-level police departments
Garrison/HQAnkara, Turkey
Nickname(s)PÖH, Üç Harfliler
Mascot(s)Eagle
Commanders
Current
commander		Selami Türker
Notable
commanders		Behçet Oktay
Turkish special forces police in Afghanistan (2008)

History

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The PÖH was founded in 1983[4] as "Special Operations Office" (Turkish: Özel Harekat Şube Müdürlüğü), under the command of Department of Public Security, to prevent armed acts of terrorist organizations residential area or in rural areas, to rescue hostages in places like aircraft, land vehicles, ships, subways, trains, and in enclosed spaces like buildings, to ensure the safety in cities and in civil aviation airports with special skills, modern weapons, ammunition, vehicles, equipment, tactics and techniques. In larger cities like Ankara, Istanbul, and İzmir, "Special Operations Group Authorities "(Turkish: Özel Harekat Grup Amirlikleri) were organized in the same year. As a result of changing conditions, in 1987, the office was transferred to the Anti-Terrorism and Operations Department under the name "Special Operations Branch" (Turkish: Özel Harekat Şubesi). In 1993, the Special Operations Branch was promoted to a department and gained its current structuring.[5]

İbrahim Şahin was head of the Department until being forced to resign in 1996 over the Susurluk scandal. Ayhan Çarkın was a notable member of the department in the 1990s.

Training

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To qualify for PÖH, an applicant must:

  • Run the 2500m designated area with a backpack weighing 10 kg, under 15 minutes
  • Have 50% minimum accuracy in pistol and rifle shooting
  • Swim 150 m without stopping
  • Be between ages 18 and 32
  • Have graduated from police high school or university

In addition, a training simulation called TAKSİS is conducted by TÜBİTAK.[6]

Expert marksmanship, shooting techniques, fast and effective use of weapons, residential warfare, airplane-train-bus operation, rescue operation with or without hostages, negotiation, psychological, survival, commando, mountaineering, basic diving, surface boat operations, sniping, superior physical conditioning training.

After 6 months of training, the applicant will receive a certificate officially identifying himself as an operator of PÖH.[7]

Tactics

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PÖH uses automatic and special weapons and rapid deployment tactics for exceptional circumstances such as bank robberies, kidnappings, and hostage rescues, among others. The nature of the unit is quite like US SWAT units or the German GSG 9. PÖH mostly specializes in counter-terrorism (CT) operations against forces and is able to undertake operations in many environments, including buses and planes.

Police Special Operation Department is one of a handful of security forces in the world which employs active front line female squad members in combat operations.[8]

 
Police Special Operations Department Operators during Sur curfew

Equipment

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Handguns

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Shotguns

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Submachine guns

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Assault rifles

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Sniper rifles

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Grenade lauchers

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Machine guns

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Vehicles

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Attack Helicopters

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References

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  1. ^ Joost Jongerden, The Settlement Issue in Turkey and the Kurds: An Analysis of Spatial Policies, Modernity and War, Brill, 2007, p. 70.
  2. ^ "Emniyetin yiğit kadınları: Kadın Polis Özel Harekat". trthaber.com (in Turkish). 16 January 2021. Retrieved 12 March 2021.
  3. ^ "Turkish police special forces put on media display". Ahval. March 2018.
  4. ^ "Kuruluşumuz". egm.gov.tr. Retrieved 12 March 2021.
  5. ^ "EGM - Özel Harekat Daire Başkanlığı". Retrieved 11 May 2015.
  6. ^ "TAKSİS - Taktik Eğitim Sistemi". Retrieved 11 May 2015.
  7. ^ Özel harekat polisine, 6 aylık zorlu eğitim, 19 September 2019, retrieved 25 June 2023
  8. ^ "2021 Özel Harekat Polisi Olma Şartları Neler? (Nasıl Olunur?) (GÜNCEL)". Sartlarineler.com (in Turkish). 20 March 2021. Retrieved 26 March 2021.
  9. ^ "American Rifleman - Akdal MKA 1919 Shotgun". Archived from the original on 3 February 2015. Retrieved 11 May 2015.
  10. ^ POLiS Özel Harekat Timi. YouTube. 11 April 2007. Retrieved 11 May 2015.
  11. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 27 March 2014. Retrieved 27 March 2014.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  12. ^ "Özel harekâta özel silah - Şanliurfa Haberleri". Şanliurfa Haberleri. Archived from the original on 25 March 2014. Retrieved 11 May 2015.
  13. ^ "SURİYE'DEKİ MUHALİF ÖRGÜTLERİN ASKERİ KAPASİTESİ: SİLAH TÜRLERİ VE SİLAHLANMA - PDF Free Download".
  14. ^ "Steyr SSG 08". Archived from the original on 4 November 2020. Retrieved 11 May 2015.
  15. ^ "Accuracy International AX50 in use with Turkish Law Enforcement". Archived from the original on 3 April 2018. Retrieved 19 March 2018.
  16. ^ Kula, Mehmet Ali (13 September 2022). "Türkiye, Çin'den 3 binden fazla makineli tüfek aldı!". DefenceTurk (in Turkish). Retrieved 24 September 2023.
  17. ^ http://www.camoluk.gov.tr/ortak_icerik/camoluk/DSCF4053.JPG Archived 1 March 2020 at the Wayback Machine [bare URL image file]
  18. ^ "EGM Havacılık Daire Başkanlığımızın ilk Atak T129 helikopteri teslim edildi".
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