Police Special Operation Department
Police tactical unit
Unit namePolis Özel Harekât Dairesi
Dates1983–present
BranchGeneral Directorate of Security
Size22,000
Command structureRespective municipality-level police departments
GarrisonAnkara, Turkey
MascotEagle
Notable commandersBehçet Oktay
Current commanderÜnsal HAYAL

The Police Special Operations Department (Turkish: Polis Özel Harekât Dairesi) or Police Special Action[1] (Turkish: Polis Özel Harekât), abbreviated as PÖH, is a police tactical unit of the General Directorate of Security in Turkey.

History

The PÖH was founded in 1983[2] as "Special Operations Office" (Turkish: Özel Harekat Şube Müdürlüğü), under the command of Department of Public Security.

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.[3]

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.

Organisation

The force consists of 22,000 personnel, more than a thousand of whom are women.[4]

It is also deployed as part of the Turkish occupation of northern Syria.[5]

Training

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]

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

Tactics

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]

Equipment

ModelOriginTypeReferences
SIG Sauer P226West GermanySemi-automatic pistol
Beretta 92Italy
Canik TP9Turkey
Sarsilmaz SAR 9[9]
Glock 17Austria
Steyr M
Akdal MKA 1919TurkeyShotgun[10]
Armsan RS-A2
Heckler & Koch MP5West GermanySubmachine gun[11]
IMI Micro UziIsrael[12]
SAR 109TTurkey[13]
Heckler & Koch HK416GermanyRifle
Heckler & Koch HK417
MKE MPTTurkey[14][15]
SAR 223[16]
SAR 56[17]
SIG Sauer SIG516United States[18]
Steyr AUGAustria[19]
Accuracy International AX50United Kingdom[20]
Accuracy International AWP
Barrett M107United States
KSR50Turkey[21]
LMT MWS 308United States
Steyr SSG 69Austria
Steyr SSG 08[22]
Milkor M32A1South AfricaGrenade launcher
PENN 37mm GLUnited States
FN MinimiBelgiumMachine gun
CS/LM8China[23]
M60 machine gunUnited States
SAR 762 MTTurkey[24]

Vehicles

References

  1. ^ Joost Jongerden, The Settlement Issue in Turkey and the Kurds: An Analysis of Spatial Policies, Modernity and War, Brill, 2007, p. 70.
  2. ^ "Kuruluşumuz". egm.gov.tr. Retrieved 2021-03-12.
  3. ^ "EGM - Özel Harekat Daire Başkanlığı". Retrieved 11 May 2015.
  4. ^ "Emniyetin yiğit kadınları: Kadın Polis Özel Harekat" (in Turkish). trthaber.com. 16 January 2021. Retrieved 2021-03-12.
  5. ^ "Turkish police special forces put on media display". Ahval. March 2018.
  6. ^ "TAKSİS - Taktik Eğitim Sistemi". Retrieved 11 May 2015.
  7. ^ "Özel harekat polisine, 6 aylık zorlu eğitim", 19 September 2019, retrieved 2023-06-25
  8. ^ "2021 Özel Harekat Polisi Olma Şartları Neler? (Nasıl Olunur?) (GÜNCEL)" (in Turkish). Sartlarineler.com. 2021-03-20. Retrieved 2021-03-26.
  9. ^ "STUNNING Special Forces Weapons and Training | MPT-76 | SAR-109T | SAR 56 | SAR 762 MT - YouTube". www.youtube.com. Retrieved 2025-03-31.
  10. ^ "American Rifleman - Akdal MKA 1919 Shotgun". Archived from the original on 3 February 2015. Retrieved 11 May 2015.
  11. ^ "POLiS Özel Harekat Timi". YouTube. 11 April 2007. Retrieved 11 May 2015.
  12. ^ "Soldier shooting training". Archived from the original on 27 March 2014. Retrieved 27 March 2014.
  13. ^ "STUNNING Special Forces Weapons and Training | MPT-76 | SAR-109T | SAR 56 | SAR 762 MT - YouTube". www.youtube.com. Retrieved 2025-03-31.
  14. ^ "MPT 76 SH - Sarsılmaz Silah". www.sarsilmaz.com. Retrieved 2025-03-31.
  15. ^ "PÖH milli keskin nişancı tüfeklerini kullanıyor - M5 Dergi". m5dergi.com. Retrieved 2025-03-31.
  16. ^ Kolukısa, Hasan (12 July 2020). "Polis Özel Harekat Sarsılmaz SAR-223P'yi aktif olarak kullanıyor" (in Turkish). DefenceTurk. Retrieved 15 March 2026.
  17. ^ "STUNNING Special Forces Weapons and Training | MPT-76 | SAR-109T | SAR 56 | SAR 762 MT - YouTube". www.youtube.com. Retrieved 2025-03-31.
  18. ^ "Özel harekâta özel silah - Şanliurfa Haberleri". Şanliurfa Haberleri. Archived from the original on 25 March 2014. Retrieved 11 May 2015.
  19. ^ "SURİYE'DEKİ MUHALİF ÖRGÜTLERİN ASKERİ KAPASİTESİ: SİLAH TÜRLERİ VE SİLAHLANMA - PDF Free Download"
  20. ^ "Accuracy International AX50 in use with Turkish Law Enforcement". Archived from the original on 2018-04-03. Retrieved 2018-03-19.
  21. ^ "PÖH milli keskin nişancı tüfeklerini kullanıyor - M5 Dergi". m5dergi.com. Retrieved 2025-03-31.
  22. ^ "Steyr SSG 08". Archived from the original on 4 November 2020. Retrieved 11 May 2015.
  23. ^ Kula, Mehmet Ali (13 September 2022). "Türkiye, Çin'den 3 binden fazla makineli tüfek aldı!" (in Turkish). DefenceTurk. Retrieved 24 September 2023.
  24. ^ "STUNNING Special Forces Weapons and Training | MPT-76 | SAR-109T | SAR 56 | SAR 762 MT - YouTube". www.youtube.com. Retrieved 2025-03-31.
  25. ^ "Police Car" (JPG). Archived 1 March 2020 at the Wayback Machine.
  26. ^ "EGM Havacılık Daire Başkanlığımızın ilk Atak T129 helikopteri teslim edildi"