Hakkari Mountain and Commando Brigade


The 5th Commando Brigade, more commonly known as the Hakkari Mountain and Commando Brigade, stationed in Hakkâri Province in southeastern Turkey, founded as a battalion of the 1st Commando Brigade. Because of the ongoing Kurdish-Turkish conflict, the formation enlarged from the size of a battalion to a brigade.
The brigade has four commando battalions, a support group, and an artillery battalion, which are deployed to different districts of Hakkari Province. Its main opponent is the Kurdistan Workers' Party. The unit has lost around 700 troops in its clashes with the PKK.

Social service

In 2000, the servicemen of the unit started a lecturing program for high school students in Hakkari, who want to take part at the Student Selection and Placement Examination, which is compulsory to enter a university in Turkey, lack however adequate financial means to visit a cram school. The next year, the lecturing service was extended to a four-group program including also students, who want to prepare themselves for the exams such as the high school entrance, foreign language proficiency and postgraduate education in addition to a course for English language. Within four years, a total of 2,000 students benefited from this social service of the military at the cram school called "Mehmetçik Dershanesi". The lecturers, in total 19, are selected among the conscripties, who are professional teachers and serving short-term at the military.

President's visit

In October 2011, President Abdullah Gül inspected the unit and spent the night at the brigade during his official visit to Southeastern Anatolia Region.

Monuments

Inside the brigade, there is the monument of "Those Who Raise the Sun by Their Names" there are 2 arms statues interconnected with each other and a giant commando statue 50 meters after the entrance.The monument was built in 1995 by the brigade commander of the period, Brigadier General Osman Pamukoğlu.







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