İsmail Metin Temel (12 March 1958, Adana) is a Turkish Second Army Command former commander. He was the commander of Turkish forces in Syria from 2016 to 2018.[1]

İsmail Metin Temel
Born (1958-03-12) 12 March 1958 (age 66)
Adana, Turkey
Allegiance Turkey
Service / branchTurkish Land Forces
Years of service1981–2020
Rank General
CommandsSecond Army of Turkey
Battles / warsKurdish–Turkish conflict (1978–present)

Turkish involvement in the Syrian Civil War

Biography

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İsmail Metin Temel was born in 1958 in Adana. His family settled in Adana in the 1970s.[2] He joined the Turkish Army in 1981. In 2012, Temel was appointed Commander of the 3rd Tactical Infantry Division/Yuksekova Hakkari.[3] In 2016, General Temel, by now Commander of the Van Gendarmerie Public Security Corps, was appointed Commander of the Second Army.[4]

Military career

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Temel has commanded two campaigns. The first was Operation Euphrates Shield, in which he and Lt. Gen. Zekai Aksakallı began the Turkish occupation of northern Syria. His second campaign, the Turkish military operation in Afrin, came amid growing tensions between the Turkish and American governments over the latter's support of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). The SDF includes the People's Protection Units (YPG), which the Turkish government describes as a branch of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). In particular, the Turkish state objected to announced plans by the US to train and equip a 30,000-strong Syrian Border Security Force, which it claimed posed a direct threat to their security. On 31 December 2018, Temel was appointed to the General Staff's Directorate of Audit and Evaluation, by presidential decree.[5]

References

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  1. ^ sitesi, milliyet.com.tr Türkiye'nin lider haber. "Son dakika: Afrin harekatını Korgeneral İsmail Metin Temel yönetecek!". Milliyet. Retrieved 21 January 2018.
  2. ^ "Orgeneral İsmail Metin Temel 2. Ordu Komutanı oldu" (in Turkish). Bayburt City News. 28 July 2016.
  3. ^ "Eğirdir Dağ Komando Okulu Komutanı Tümgeneral Temel'den, Veda Ziyareti". Haberler.com (in Turkish). Retrieved 2018-01-28.
  4. ^ "2. Ordu Komutanlığı Korgeneral İsmail Metin Temel atandı" (in Turkish). Istıklal. 29 July 2016.
  5. ^ [1] Son dakika... General atamaları Resmi Gazete'de yayımlandı
Military offices
Preceded by
Adem Huduti
Commander of the Second Army of Turkey
18 July 2016 - 31 December 2018
Succeeded by