# Gendarmerie Special Operations

The Gendarmerie Special Operations (Turkish: Jandarma Özel Harekat) or JÖH, is the special operations unit of the Turkish Gendarmerie General Command. Its tasks include search and destroy, infiltration, and reconnaissance. Members of the unit receive extensive training at the Jandarma School at Foça and also from selected Turkish Armed Forces instructors. All three of its companies work under the direction of the army regions to which they are assigned, but can also receive tasking from their headquarters in Ankara.

## About

The GSO was established in 1991, at the height of the Turkish–Kurdish conflict. It has recently been involved in the Turkish occupation of northern Syria. Unit members are in the 16-week training rooms at the Gendarmerie Commando Terrorist Operations School Command in Foça. All kinds of light weapons, mortar use, rocket launcher training, maneuvering under fire, destroying targets, mountaineering, GPS, long distance navigation, camouflage, being able to withstand fatigue and insomnia, making the right decision under stress, adaptation to different climate and geographical situations, fighting in urban areas, explosive recognition and detection, helicopter evacuation, basic helicopter steering, transition through waterways, basic diving, melee combat, survival, boat operations. A person who completes the course becomes a commando. Commando candidates run 300+ kilometers, walk more than 1100+ kilometers and stay in the field for 61 nights. Trainees are expected to complete a 10 kilometer rifle run, a 15 kilometer country run, and a 30 kilometer strength run with full equipment. After the commando training, a sniper course is followed. The Gendarmerie Special Operations course lasts 6 months. The course is organized in Ankara, İzmir and Kayseri with land, air and sea phases. Gendarmerie officers, non-commissioned officers and experts who have received basic gendarmerie commando training can attend the course. Combat training in severe cold in Kayseri or Bolu Basic diving in Ankara In İzmir Foça, the helicopter jump boat operator receives training such as close combat, forestry, airplane-bus-train operations, residential operation, frogman, special operations and Paratrooper. Special operations candidates ran a total of 675+ kilometers under running conditions. At the end of the training, the student will have the ability to plan and conduct special operations in buildings, land, air and railway vehicles in all kinds of terrain and climatic conditions at home and abroad.
In Combat Physical Education classes, basic movements such as pull-ups, sit-ups and push-ups are performed. In addition, a training simulation called TAKSİS is conducted by TÜBİTAK. Has at least 20,000 active personnel. JÖHs are like the equivalent of maroon berets in the Turkish Armed Forces.

## Units

| Unit | Province | Nick Name's | Details |
| Hançerler JÖH | Adıyaman | Hançerler (Daggers) | Badge |
| Mertler JÖH | Ağrı | Mertler (Braves) | Symbols/ badge of unit is double-headed Anatholian Eagle(Seljuk) located behind Mount Ararat. |
| Atmacalar JÖH | Batman, Turkey | Atmacalar (sparrow hawks) | |
| Kartallar JÖH | Bingöl | Kartallar (Eagles) | Badge |
| Roketler JÖH | Diyarbakır | Roketler (Rockets) | Badge |
| Serdarlar JÖH | Elazığ | Serdarlar (Serdar means commander in Ottoman Turkish language) | Badge |
| Çelikler JÖH | Erzurum | Çelikler (Steels) | takes its name from Operation Steel. most of the commanders from 25th Mechanized Infantry Brigade Badge |
| Doğanlar JÖH | Giresun | Doğanlar (Falcons) | Gendarmerie Chief Sergeant Ferhat Gedik killed together with Eren Bülbül (aged 15) as a result of an attack by PKK were a member of this unit. This unit is out of Kurdish–Turkish conflict (1978–present) zone and takes place in Black Sea Forest region. The reason behind for being outside of the conflict area is Revolutionary People's Liberation Party/Front or DHKP-C Insurgency |
| Fatihler JÖH | Hakkari | Fatihler (Conquerors) | Badge |
| Efeler JÖH | Hakkâri Province - Yüksekova | Efeler (Efe (zeybek)) There is EfeMonument in Barracks | First unit commit the counter offensive October 2007 clashes in Hakkâri Badge : |
| Parslar JÖH | Hakkâri Province Şemdinli | Parslar (Anatolian leopards) | |
| Arslanlar JÖH | Hatay Province | Arslanlar (Lions) | Newly formed unit since begin of Syrian Civil War to protect the border &Amanos Mountains. Also took place in Operation Olive Branch(closest unit in region) |
| Kafkaslar JÖH | Kars | Kafkaslar (Caucasus Mountains) | |
| Yiğitler JÖH | Mardin Province | Yiğitler (Ironsides) | One of the first unit. symbol on Badge is Akinji |
| Kılıçlar JÖH | Muş Province | Kılıçlar (Kilijs) | |
| Dadaşlar JÖH | Siirt Province | Dadaş (Valiants) | Badge Old Badge |
| Bozkır Kartalları JÖH | Sivas Province | Kartallar (Steppe eagles) | |
| Meteler JÖH | Şırnak | Meteler(Modu Chanyu) | Badge |
| Korkutlar JÖH | Osmaniye | Korkut (name) | Badge |
| Oğuzlar & Yıldırımlar JÖH | Van, Turkey | Oḡuz Khan Yildirim Bayazit | Badge |
| Panterler JÖH | Tatvan Bitlis | Leopard's | Badge |
| Boralar JÖH | Tokat | Bora means (Strong wind) | Badge |
| Şahinler JÖH | Tunceli | Buteo's | Badge |
| Timsahlar JÖH | Bursa | Crocodile | Badge |
| Avcılar JÖH | İzmir | Hunters | Badge |
| Tayfunlar JÖH | Antalya, Akseki | Typhoons | - |