Mareşal (Turkey)
Mareşal (Marshal) or Büyükamiral (Admiral of the fleet) is the highest rank in the Army of Turkey, the Turkish Armed Forces. It is the equivalent of a Field Marshal in other countries.
| Marshal Mareşal | |
|---|---|
 Mareşal shoulder insignia. | |
| Country |  Turkey |
| Service branch | Turkish Armed Forces |
| Rank | Officer |
| NATO rank code | OF-10 |
| Formation | 1921 |
| Next higher rank | None |
| Next lower rank | Orgeneral Oramiral |
The rank of Mareşal/Büyükamiral can trace its origins to the Ottoman Empire, where the rank was bestowed upon senior commanders upon order of the ruling Sultan.
The word mariscalcus in Latin, had parts from the old-German words meaning horse and servant.
The rank of Mareşal/Büyükamiral can only be bestowed by the National Assembly, and only given to a General/Admiral who leads an army, navy and/or air force with an extraordinary success in battle gaining a victory over the enemy.[1]
The corresponding rank in the Turkish Navy is known as Büyükamiral.
List of Turkish Marshals
Only two people were bestowed the rank Mareşal to date: Mustafa Kemal Atatürk (on 21 September 1921) and chief of staff Fevzi Çakmak (on 31 August 1922), both for their successes in the Turkish War of Independence.
| № | Name (Birth–Death) | Battle | Office | Date of promotion | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  |
Mustafa Kemal Atatürk (1881–1938) |
Battle of Sakarya | Commander-in-chief of the Army of the GNA (1921–1922) | 19 September 1921 |
| 2 |  |
Fevzi Çakmak (1876–1950) |
Battle of Dumlupinar | Commander-in-chief of the Army of the GNA (1921–1922) Chief of the Turkish General Staff (1923–1944) |
31 August 1922 |
References
- Turkish Armed Forces Employee Law[Turkish] Archived 10 November 2012 at the Wayback Machine
