Turkey allows police to use army equipment during social unrests

With a new presidential decree published in the Official Gazette yesterday (January 6), the army, the police and the intelligence agency are now allowed to share equipment during incidents "threatening public order."

The decree amends some articles of the Regulation of Moveable Properties of the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK), the Directorate General of Security (EGM) and the National Intelligence Agency (MİT).

The amendment allows the three institutions to handover moveable properties to one another in case of incidents that "seriously threaten public order," which are stated as "terror incidents, social incidents and other nescessary situations."

According to the amendment, arms and vehicles belonging to the TSK could be handed over to the police or the intelligence units with an approval by the Ministry of National Defense.

The amended regulation also allows the army to send military equipment to "allied and friendly countries." (VK)