Turkish army now has more professionals than conscriptsMay 4, 2022 - 17:33 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - The number of professional soldiers in the Turkish Armed Forces now for the first time exceeds the number of conscripts, reaching 55%, according to a report from the country's Ministry of Defense. In 2017, professionals made up 38% of the personnel of the Turkish army, or 156,000 people․ In 2021, this figure increased to 55%, or 216 thousand military personnel. The number of conscripts for the specified period decreased from 259,000 to 175,000, TASS said citing a report from Cumhuriyet. The newspaper also focuses on the reduction of the number of the Turkish army within five years, dropping from 453,000 troops in 2017 to 430,000 in 2021. The Turkish Armed Forces is the second largest standing military force in NATO, after the U.S. Armed Forces. Turkey is one of five NATO member states which are part of the nuclear sharing policy of the alliance, together with Belgium, Germany, Italy, and the Netherlands. Top stories Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev arrived in Moscow on April 22 to hold talks with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". Partner news | Ameriabank's Trade Finance portfolio enriched with four prestigious awards from EBRD and IFC Ameriabank received the awards from international financial institutions in recognition of its trade finance operations. Armenian Economy Minister to make trip to UAE May 20-22 A delegation led by Minister of Economy Gevorg Papoyan will travel to the UAE capital of Abu Dhabi on May 20-22 Armenia Security Council chief traveling to Qatar Secretary of the Security Council of Armenia Armen Grigoryan will travel on a working visit to Qatar. Pillars installed in Armenian border village of Kirants In the Armenian village of Kirants, three border markers have been installed, and border guards stand next to them. |