Structural Changes and Their Effects in the Gendarmerie Organization After July 15th

Abstract

This study aims to examine the structural transformation that occurred in the Turkish security bureaucracy following the July 15 coup attempt through a multidimensional approach, using the Gendarmerie General Command (JGK) as a case example. In the study, particularly Law No. 2803 on the Organization, Duties and Powers of the Gendarmerie, along with Decree Law No. 668 and the subsequent regulations that came into force, have been subjected to an analytical evaluation by taking into account historical continuity and breaking points. During the examination process, normative texts have been considered not only in terms of their legal content but also as texts reflecting the paradigm shift in the understanding of security governance. The study traces the origins of the Gendarmerie Organization back to the Tanzimat Period and accepts the impact of the military character maintained throughout the Republic on institutional memory as background data. However, the analysis mainly focuses on the post-2016 period, particularly addressing changes in the hierarchical dependency structure, the restructuring of the personnel regime, and the transformation of the education system along the axis of civilianization. Within this framework, the effects of the new balance established between military discipline and civilian bureaucratic flexibility on institutional performance are discussed. In particular, direct subordination to civilian authority increases transparency in decision-making processes and strengthens the social legitimacy of security policies. Nevertheless, the interaction between a deeply rooted military tradition and civilian administrative practices brings about a search for a new institutional culture within the organization. This study argues that the transformation experienced by the Gendarmerie Organization should be evaluated not only as an administrative restructuring but also as part of a broader paradigm shift in Türkiye’s understanding of security governance.