# Presidential Guard Regiment (Turkey)

Presidential Guard Regiment (Turkish: Cumhurbaşkanlığı Muhafız Alayı) was a military unit stationed in Çankaya Köşkü, the official residence of the Prime Minister of Turkey (office abolished in 2018) and until 2014 the official residence of the President of Turkey. The Guard Regiment was the only unit in the Land Forces of Turkish Armed Forces to wear turquoise and white ceremonial uniforms.

## History

The Turkish Presidential Guard Regiment was established in July 1920 under President Atatürk. Its original role was to provide security in Ankara, in what was then a small and isolated city. As a battalion sized unit it saw active service during the war with Greece.
In 1927 the Guard Battalion, as it was then known, was expanded to 2,500 men and renamed as the Presidential Guards Regiment. During World War II the unit was expanded again and restructured as a brigade and then a division. In 1948 it was reduced to battalion strength and in 1953 merged with the separate Parliamentary Guard Battalion, under its final title of Presidential Guard Regiment.
Primarily visible as a ceremonial and honor guard unit, the regiment included a horse mounted escort. Under President Erdoğan during 2015 the Guard provided small detachments in various historic Ottoman costumes at public functions.

### 2016 coup

Following the abortive coup attempt of 2016, almost 300 members of this unit were arrested. Shortly thereafter, the Turkish government announced that the entire Presidential Guard Regiment was to be disbanded. Though plans for full disbandment were subsequently abandoned, the Presidential Guard was reorganised and its ceremonial responsibility for the protection of the presidential palace was handed over to a special police operations unit.

## Commanders

| # | Name | Term start | Term end |
| 1 | Lieutenant Colonel Topal Osman | 1920 | 1923 |
| 2 | Colonel İsmail Hakkı Tekçe | 1920 | 1940 |
| 3 | Infantry Major Hüsnü Dumlu | 1940 | 1942 |
| 4 | Infantry Major Necdet Ergezen | 1942 | 1943 |
| 5 | Infantry Major Daniş Karabelen | 1943 | 1948 |
| 6 | Infantry Lieutenant Colonel Gani Güvener | 1948 | 1950 |
| 7 | Staff Major Nüzhet Bulca | 1950 | 1953 |
| 8 | Staff Colonel Bahattin Ertürk | 1953 | 1955 |
| 9 | Staff Colonel Refik Tulga | 1955 | 1956 |
| 10 | Staff Colonel Bahattin Ertürk | 1956 | 1959 |
| 11 | Staff Colonel Osman Köksal | 1959 | 1961 |
| 12 | Staff Colonel Şükrü İlkin | 1961 | 1962 |
| 13 | Staff Colonel Cihat Alpan | 1962 | 1962 |
| 14 | Staff Colonel İsmail Hakkı Bayındır | 1962 | 1966 |
| 15 | Staff Colonel Dündar Baykal | 1966 | 1969 |
| 16 | Colonel Hadi Öztekin | 1969 | 1971 |
| 17 | Staff Colonel Yılmaz Tokatlı | 1971 | 1973 |
| 18 | Staff Colonel Hüseyin Topa | 1973 | 1974 |
| 19 | Colonel Abdullah Erkun | 1974 | 1976 |
| 20 | Staff Colonel Hasan Sağlam | 1976 | 1977 |
| 21 | Colonel Rasim Burakan | 1977 | 1981 |
| 22 | Staff Colonel Çevik Bir | 1981 | 1983 |
| 23 | Staff Colonel Halit Edip Başer | 1983 | 1986 |
| 24 | Staff Colonel Yaşar Büyükanıt | 1986 | 1988 |
| 25 | Staff Colonel Ersin Yılmaz | 1988 | 1990 |
| 26 | Staff Colonel Yaşar Karagöz | 1990 | 1991 |
| 27 | Staff Colonel Hasan Iğsız | 1991 | 1993 |
| 28 | Staff Colonel Aslan Güner | 1993 | 1994 |
| 29 | Staff Colonel Nusret Taşdeler | 1994 | 1996 |
| 30 | Staff Colonel Kerim Şahin | 1996 | 1997 |
| 31 | Staff Colonel Cihangir Akşit | 1997 | 1999 |
| 32 | Staff Colonel Tayyar Elmas | 1999 | 2000 |
| 33 | Staff Colonel Abdullah Recep | 2000 | 2001 |
| 34 | Staff Colonel Kamil Başoğlu | 2001 | 2002 |
| 35 | Staff Colonel Ferit Güler | 2002 | 2004 |
| 36 | Staff Colonel Hamza Koçyiğit | 2004 | 2006 |
| 37 | Staff Colonel Burhanettin Aktı | 2006 | 2008 |
| 38 | Staff Colonel Muharrem Metin Özbek | 2008 | 2010 |
| 39 | Staff Colonel Şener Topuç | 2010 | 2012 |
| 40 | Staff Colonel İsmail Güneşer | 2012 | 2013 |
| 41 | Staff Colonel Muhammet Tanju Poshor | 2013 | 2015 |
| 42 | Staff Colonel Muhsin Kutsi Barış | 2015 | 2016 |