Mareşal (Turkey)
Highest rank in the Turkish Armed Forces
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Mareşal (transl. Marshal) is the highest rank in the Turkish Land Forces and Turkish Air Force.[1] It is the equivalent of a field marshal in other countries.[2]
| Marshal Mareşal | |
|---|---|
 Shoulder insignia | |
| Country |  Turkey |
| Service branch | Turkish Land Forces Turkish Air Force |
| NATO rank code | OF-10 |
| Formation | 1921 |
| Next higher rank | None |
| Next lower rank | Orgeneral |
| Equivalent ranks | Büyük amiral |
The rank of Mareşal can trace its origins to the Ottoman Empire, where the rank of Mushir (Arabic: مشير) was bestowed upon senior commanders upon order of the ruling Sultan.[citation needed]
The word mariscalcus in Latin, had parts from the old-German words meaning horse and servant.[citation needed]
The rank of Mareşal can only be bestowed by the National Assembly, and only given to a general who leads an army, and/or air force with an extraordinary success in battle gaining a victory over the enemy.[3]
The corresponding rank in the Turkish Navy is Büyük amiral.[4]
List of Turkish Marshals
Only two people were bestowed the rank Mareşal to date, both for their successes in the Turkish War of Independence.
| No. | Portrait | Name (born–died) |
Date of promotion | For | Office | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  |
Mustafa Kemal Atatürk (1881–1938) |
19 September 1921 | Battle of Sakarya | Commander-in-chief of the Army of the GNA (1921–1922) | |
| 2 |  |
Fevzi Çakmak (1876–1950) |
31 August 1922 | Battle of Dumlupınar | Commander-in-chief of the Army of the GNA (1921–1922) Chief of the Turkish General Staff (1923–1944) |
