History UsefulNotes / TurksWithTroops

However, the military has undergone significant changes recently. The administration of Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has effectively restructured the Turkish military in the wake of two massive events: the Ergenekon Case [[note]]sometimes referred to as ''Operation Sledgehammer''[[/note]] and the 2016 coup d'etat attempt. In the former, a massive number of military leaders were accused of belonging to an ultra-nationalist organization known as Ergenekon, that was supposedly planning on overthrowing the ruling AKP government. This resulted in hundreds of officers being arrested and losing their posts, and they were typically replaced by officers loyal to the AKP government. This did not avert another coup attempt, however, as Erdoğan had a falling out with his ally Fethullah Gülen, leader of the ''hizmet'' movement. The latter was involved in a coup attempt in 2016 that was quickly crushed, but there still exists significant controversy over the role of Gülen and other aspects of the coup that are beyond the scope of this article. Regardless, the outcome is that the Turkish military is effectively no longer a separate entity constantly watching over the civilian government as in decades past, but is now an arm of the the government.

* ''Kurtlar Vadisi'' (English title ''Valley of The Wolves'' [[note]] Most Notable for the BigDamnMovie Valley of the Wolves: Iraq]][[/note]])

Perhaps more surprisingly, the Turkish military has carved itself a veritable niche as a DroneDeployer over the latter half of the 2010s, becoming one of the most prolific producers of both [[SurveillanceDrone surveillance]] and [[AttackDrone attack]] drones. Baykar TB "Bayraktar" drones have come in contact with UsefulNotes/{{Russian|s With Rusting Rockets}}-equipped forces in Syria, Libya, Nagorno-Karabakh and UsefulNotes/{{Ukrain|ians With Depleted Uranium}}e, often offering significant advantages to Turkish-backed forces in these theatres. As a result, some experts have been describing Turkey as a drone superpower surpassed only by the US and China.

Oghuz Turks have long and not without justice been reputed to be a ProudWarriorRace. The present day nation of UsefulNotes/{{Turkey}} was descended from the Ottoman Empire which was founded by [[TheHorde border raiders]] in Asia Minor. These formed themselves into a conquering [[TheEmpire Empire]] which was able to subjugate large parts of the Balkans. At one of its key moments the Ottomans were, in 1453, able to take Constantinople which was the [[VestigialEmpire last trace]] of UsefulNotes/TheRomanEmpire. After this they grew to become one of the greatest powers in the world.

Perhaps more surprisingly, the Turkish military has carved itself a veritable niche as a DroneDeployer over the latter half of the 2010s, becoming one of the most prolific producers of both [[SurveillanceDrone surveillance]] and [[AttackDrone attack]] drones. Turkish drones have come in contact with UsefulNotes/{{Russian|s With Rusting Rockets}}-equipped forces in Syria, Libya, Nagorno-Karabakh and UsefulNotes/{{Ukrain|ians With Depleted Uranium}}e, often offering significant advantages to Turkish-backed forces in these theatres. As a result, some experts have been describing Turkey as a drone superpower surpassed only by the US and China.

Perhaps more surprisingly, the Turkish military has carved itself a veritable niche as a DroneDeployer over the latter half of the 2010s, becoming one of the most prolific producers of both [[SurveillanceDrone surveillance]] and [[AttackDrone attack]] drones. Turkish drones have come in contact with Russian-equipped forces in Syria, Libya, Nagorno-Karabakh and Ukraine, often offering significant advantages to Turkish-backed forces in these theatres. As a result, some experts have been describing Turkey as a drone superpower surpassed only by the US and China.

%%!!Tropes as portrayed in fiction:

Perhaps more surprisingly, the Turkish military has carved itself a veritable niche as a DroneDeployer over the latter half of the 2010s, becoming one of the most prolific producers of both [[SurveillanceDrone surveillance]] and [[AttackDrone attack]] drones. Turkish drones have come in contact with Russian-equipped forces in Syria, Libya and Nagorno-Karabakh, often offering significant advantages to Turkish-backed forces in these theatres. As a result, some experts have been describing Turkey as a drone superpower surpassed only by the US and China.

However, the military has undergone significant changes recently. The administration of Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has effectively restructured the Turkish military in the wake of two massive events: the Ergenekon Case [[note]]sometimes referred to as ''Operation Sledgehammer''[[/note]] and the 2016 coup d'etat attempt. In the former, a massive number of military leaders were accused of belonging to an ultra-nationalist organization known as Ergenekon, that was supposedly planning on overthrowing the ruling AKP government. This resulted in hundreds of officers being arrested and losing their posts, and they were typically replaced by officers loyal to the AKP government. This did not avert another coup attempt, however, as Erdoğan had a falling out with his ally Fethullah Gülen, leader of the ''hizmet'' movement. The latter was involved in a coup attempt in 2016 that was quickly crushed, but there still exists significant controversy over the role of Gülen and other aspects of the coup [[Administrivia/RuleOfCautiousEditingJudgment that shall not be discussed here.]] Regardless, the outcome is that the Turkish military is effectively no longer a separate entity constantly watching over the civilian government as in decades past, but is now an arm of the the government.

* In ''Webcomic/AxisPowersHetalia'', the MoeAnthropomorphism of Turkey ''and'' the former Ottoman Empire (Sadiq Annan) appears once or twice with his troops around.

Oghuz Turks have long and not without justice been reputed to be a ProudWarriorRace. The present day nation of Turkey was descended from the Ottoman Empire which was founded by [[TheHorde border raiders]] in Asia Minor. These formed themselves into a conquering [[TheEmpire Empire]] which was able to subjugate large parts of the Balkans. At one of its key moments the Ottomans were, in 1453, able to take Constantinople which was the [[VestigialEmpire last trace]] of UsefulNotes/TheRomanEmpire. After this they grew to become one of the greatest powers in the world.

* ''Diriliş Ertuğrul'', a Turkish historical television series chronicling the deeds of Ertuğrul Bey, father of Osman Ghazi Haan, that could be best described as "''Vikings'' with Central Asian nomads". Not that there isn't a significant amount of overlap between those two groups.

However, the military has undergone significant changes recently. The administration of Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has effectively restructured the Turkish military in the wake of two massive events: the Ergenekon Case [[note]]sometimes referred to as ''Operation Sledgehammer''[[/note]] and the 2016 coup d'etat attempt. In the former, a massive number of military leaders were accused of belonging to an ultra-nationalist organization known as Ergenekon, that was supposedly planning on overthrowing the ruling AKP government. This resulted in hundreds of officers being arrested and losing their posts, and they were typically replaced by officers loyal to the AKP government. This did not avert another coup attempt, however, as Erdoğan had a falling out with his ally Fethullah Gülen, leader of the ''hizmet'' movement. The latter was involved in a coup attempt in 2016 that was quickly crushed, but there still exists significant controversy over the role of Gülen and other aspects of the coup [[RuleOfCautiousEditingJudgement that shall not be discussed here.]] Regardless, the outcome is that the Turkish military is effectively no longer a separate entity constantly watching over the civilian government as in decades past, but is now an arm of the the government.

Turkey's military has long been noted for its size. Due to the geographic position of Turkey, the nation played a major role in the planning of World War III scenarios during the Cold War, as their control of the Bosphorous blocked the only Soviet access to the Mediterranean. This, combined with American nuclear missile deployments in the country, made it a prime target if war was to break out. However, this was not the only reason for a large Turkish military. Until recently, the Turkish military played a significant role in the politics of the country. The army is tasked with enforcing the constitutional restrictions on religious governance, which led them to launch coups in 1960 against the Democratic Party, and again in 1997 against the administration of Necmettin Erbakan. They also had two other coups in 1971 and 1980, ostensibly in response to ideological violence, and a coup attempt in 2016 that is bona fide FlameBait in Turkish communities. This heavy presence in Turkish politics is partly owed to the founders of modern Turkey, particularly Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, being generals in the Ottoman military. Having won Turkey's independence through war, there was a natural inclination to view the military as a fundamental part of the nation's politics, unlike countries like the United States where the military is firmly divided from the civilian administration. This seemingly omni-present military cabal has come to be known as the "Deep State" in Turkey.

However, the military has undergone significant changes recently. The administration of Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has effectively restructured the Turkish military in the wake of two massive events: the Ergenekon Case [[note]]sometimes referred to as ''Operation Sledgehammer''[[/note]] and the 2016 coup d'etat attempt. In the former, a massive number of military leaders were accused of belonging to an ultra-nationalist organization known as Ergenekon, that was supposedly planning on overthrowing the ruling AKP government. This resulted in hundreds of officers being arrested and losing their posts, and they were typically replaced by officers loyal to the AKP government. This did not avert another coup attempt, however, as Erdoğan had a falling out with his ally Fethullah Gülen, leader of the ''hizmet'' movement. The latter was involved in a coup attempt in 2016 that was quickly crushed, but there still exists significant controversy over the role of Gülen and other aspects of the coup [[RuleOfCautiousEditingJudgement that shall not be discussed here.]] Regardless, the outcome is that the Turkish military is effectively no longer a separate entity constantly watching over the civilian government as in decades past, but is now an arm of the the government.

During UsefulNotes/WorldWarI the Ottoman Empire fought on the German side. It gave a fairly good account of itself, but in the end lost most of its empire, and upon surrendering, significant chunks of its Anatolian heartland were given--directly or indirectly--to Greece, Italy, and France. However in a curious twist of fate it managed to resurrect itself. The Turkish General Kemal Ataturk, who had distinguished himself at Gallipoli, put himself at the head of a nationalist movement which prevented the total collapse of Turkish independence (ironically, despite being a militant secularist, the mass of peasants who followed him showed up because he managed to convince an assembly of muftis to declare a ''jihad''). Turkey reformed itself from a VestigialEmpire into a nation state under Ataturk who was, for the Turks, sort of a semi-benign cross between a GloriousLeader and a {{Cincinnatus}}. During UsefulNotes/WorldWarII it stayed neutral and was able to do so both because of its formidable if old fashioned army, and because of the [[TheChessmaster geopolitical skills]] of its leaders. During The Cold War the Turks took the anti-communist side and Turkish troops fought with distinction in UsefulNotes/TheKoreanWar (amusingly, the [[EnemyMine Greeks]] showed up, too; there are no reports on what they thought of one another). Turkey joined NATO in 1952 as part of the first enlargement, at the same time as Greece. Turkey now has the second-largest army in NATO after the YanksWithTanks.

* ''The Lark Farm (La Masseria Delle Allodole)'', an Italian-made film about the {{World War One}}-era deportations of Armenians by the Turkish military.

* ''The Turkish Gambit'' novel from Literature/ErastFandorin series (also [[Film/TheTurkishGambit the movie]]).

* In ''Webcomic/AxisPowersHetalia'', the MoeAnthropomorphism of Turkey ''and'' the former Ottoman Empire (Sadiq Annan) appears once or twice with his troops around.
* ''Series/{{Mash}}'' shows the Turks as part of the UsefulNotes/KoreanWar fighting force, and as such visiting the 4077th every so often. One scene had a Turk/Greek fight broken up by a pissed-off [[spoiler:Father Mulcahy]].

* The ''VideoGame/TotalWar'' series features the Ottoman Empire as a playable faction in the original ''[[VideoGame/MedievalTotalWar Medieval]]'', ''[[VideoGame/MedievalIITotalWar Medieval II]]'', ''[[VideoGame/EmpireTotalWar Empire]]'', and ''[[VideoGame/NapoleonTotalWar Napoleon]]''.

* ''Rampage'', [[FanNickname aka.]] ''Turkish Franchise/{{Rambo}}''.
* ''Diriliş Ertuğrul'', a Turkish historical television series chronicling the deeds of Ertuğrul Bey, father of Osman Ghazi Haan, that could be best described as "''Vikings'' with Central Asian nomads". Not that there isn't a significant amount of overlap between those two groups.

Oghuz Turks have long and not without justice been reputed to be a ProudWarriorRace. The present day nation of Turkey was descended from the Ottoman Empire which was founded by [[TheHorde border raiders]] in Asia Minor. These formed themselves into a conquering [[TheEmpire Empire]] which was able to subjugate large parts of the Balkans. At one of its [[CrowningMomentOfAwesome key moments]] the Ottomans were, in 1453, able to take Constantinople which was the [[VestigialEmpire last trace]] of UsefulNotes/TheRomanEmpire. After this they grew to become one of the greatest powers in the world.

Oghuz Turks have long and not without justice been reputed to be a ProudWarriorRace. The present day nation of Turkey was descended from the Ottoman Empire which was founded by [[TheHorde border raiders]] in Asia Minor. These formed themselves into a conquering [[TheEmpire Empire]] which was able to subjugate large parts of the Balkans. At one of its [[CrowningMomentOfAwesome key moments]] the Ottomans were, in 1453, able to take Constantinople which was the [[VestigialEmpire last trace]] of TheRomanEmpire. After this they grew to become one of the greatest powers in the world.

* ''Diriliş Ertuğrul'', a Turkish historical television series chronicling the deeds of Ertuğrul Bey, father of Osman Ghazi Haan, that could be best described as "''[[Series/{{Vikings}}]]'' with Central Asian nomads''". Not that there isn't a significant amount of overlap between those two groups.

* ''Diriliş Ertuğrul'', a Turkish historical television series chronicling the deeds of Ertuğrul Bey, father of Osman Ghazi Haan, that could be best described as "''[[Series/{{Vikings}}]] with Central Asian nomads''". Not that there isn't a significant amount of overlap between those two groups.

!!Tropes include

* {{Ambadassador}} - Turkish Sultans, Grand Viziers and other political officials often also took part in military battles. [[AuthorityEqualsAsskicking Authority most definitely equaled ass kicking]], especially in the early days of the empire when it was still expanding.
** A lot of the reasons that AuthorityEqualsAsskicking in the early Ottoman Empire was the curious law of fratricide which declared that ThereCanBeOnlyOne and all other claimants to the throne must die. In other words AuthorityEqualsAsskicking because AsskickingEqualsAuthority.
*** Later Sultans were more careful of their lives and / or more respectful of the lives of their siblings.
** Eventually, this tradition was replaced with "the Cage", where claimants to the throne were kept locked in a harem and pulled out upon the death of the Sultan. This backfired, however, as most of the claimants had long gone insane due to the conditions they were kept in, giving the Ottoman Empire a string of bad Sultans.
* ArchEnemy - Greece, Russia for many centuries (though things have calmed down between them in recent decades), Armenia, and, in the days of the Ottoman Empire, the Habsburgs and the Venetian Republic.
* BadassArmy - When they were winning they were fearsome. When they were losing they were determined. And they are descended from steppe nomads which is ''really'' badass.
* BadassBeard: Any Ottoman who is significant either militarily or bureaucratically will likely have a beard. Unsurprisingly so, given that Islam states that keeping a beard is praiseworthy, thus encouraging this trope
** Abdülmecid II, the last Ottoman Caliph, was famous for having a truly magnificent beard. It was often said he was rather proud of it.
* CrowningMusicOfAwesome - According to tales the Ottoman Army had the oldest variety of marching bands in the world.
* {{Determinator}} - Turkish soldiers have a reputation for this.
* EvilArmy - Most descriptions of the Turkish army are from the point of view of it's enemies or their descendants.
* FightingForAHomeland - The original raiders who founded the Ottoman Empire. Also the foundation of the modern state of Turkey.
* GrimUpNorth: To the Byzantines anyway. Whenthey saw the flood of Turkic warriors coming into Anatolia (many as a result of fleeing from brutal Mongol invasions, mind you), all they saw were a bunch of hairy brute savages from the northeast who followed a heathenish religion (Islam, in this case), and who were really, ''really'' good at fighting.
* HappinessInSlavery: As mentioned below, Janissaries were technically a slave caste, albeit one with great benefits and status. As such, did not react well to the efforts of later Sultans to abolish or modernise them. The struggle to get rid of Janissaries took decades and cost the lives of numerous Sultans, depriving the empire of leadership and military force during a critical period of European expansion. By the time they were replaced, it was too little too late.
* ProudWarriorRaceGuy: The Ottoman Empire was descended primarily from Osman I and his fellow Kayi tribesmen, as well as from the Seljuk emirates that he united in Antaolia after the breakup of the Seljuk Sultanate of Rum. Consider alongside this that Turks fulfilled the same basic cultural niche in medieval Eastern Europe and Asia, as the Vikings did for medieval Western Europe.
** One of Osman I's titles was "Bone-Breaker". A society that gives these sorts of epithets out can never not be this trope.
* PunchClockVillain: Many Turks, rightly or not, saw the Anzacs as victims who ended up fighting a war that was not theirs. This, combined with the WorthyOpponent effect described below is probably the reason why Gallipolli is not seen as ItsPersonal, despite the sheer brutality of that particular conflict.
** Which is especially ironic, given that if anything working for [[AxeCrazy The Three Pashas]] probably means that the inverse was closer to being true.
* TheSiege - Though this tended to backfire on them a lot during UsefulNotes/WorldWarOne when the Christian [[RagtagBunchOfMisfits townspeople]] decided to [[TookALevelInBadass Take A level In Badass]] rather than be deported and hold them back for weeks on end before being rescued by allied forces.
** More blatantly, the Siege of Constantinople, which firmly established Ottoman power and brought an end to the Eastern Roman Empire, and the last Siege of Vienna, a close-run thing that ended in Turkish defeat and marked the beginning of the decline of the empire.
* [[RealMenLoveJesus Real Men Love Allah]]: Osman I was a very religious man. He was also a Khan of the Oghuz Turks and therefore a complete badass. In fact, many, many, many Ottoman sultans and beys were complete badasses in addition to being pious Muslims.
** Most of the Turks who ended up coming south and west into Anatolia and became part of Osman's army were ''Ghazis'', essentially the Islamic equivalent to [[WarriorMonk Warrior Monks]].
* SlaveMooks - The Janissaries who were originally "taxed" children of conquered countries. But eventually they became so politically influential that they didn't ''want'' to stop being slaves, as being "freed" would greatly reduce their power.
** The Kurds were this at one point, though obviously not these days.
* WorthyOpponent - After Gallipoli, the [[AussiesWithArtillery Anzacs]] admired the Turks' grit and called them "Johnny Turk".
** The Turks reciprocated the feelings, as evidenced by the memorial at the Anzac Cove:
--> Those heroes that shed their blood and lost their lives¦ you are now lying in the soil of a friendly country. Therefore rest in peace. There is no difference between the Johnnies and the Mehmets where they lie side by side here in this country of ours¦ You the mothers who sent their sons from far away countries, wipe away your tears. Your sons are now lying in our bosom and are in peace. Having lost their lives on this land they have become our sons as well.
---> Ataturk