The command of the Special Forces (Özel Kuvvetler Komutanlığı, ÖKK) of Turkey, designed to conduct unconventional combat operations, secret cross-border operations, sabotage and intelligence activities, appointed special advisers to work with the army of Ukraine and began training the Ukrainian military under a multi-year plan. This is reported by the organization Nordic Monitor with reference to a 2016 document allegedly representing a secret note addressed to the Chief of the General Staff of the Turkish Armed Forces.
Alleged secret note addressed to the Chief of the General Staff of the Turkish Armed Forces Hulusi Akar, 2016 (c) Nordic Monitor
A secret note addressed to Hulusi Akar, who held the post of Chief of the General Staff of the Turkish Armed Forces, was prepared in 2016 as a report on the visit of a group of Turkish servicemen to Ukraine in the period from April 6 to 10 of the same year to assess the possibility of joint military exercises and training of specialists, writes the author of Nordic Monitor.
According to the document, Turkish-Ukrainian cooperation included the training of special forces of Ukraine by Turkish specialists, starting with their training program in Turkey. Kiev also asked to send two officers with the rank of colonel or major for language training in Ukraine. This request was approved by the Turkish General Staff in 2016.
In addition, Turkey has approved the deployment of about a dozen Ukrainian servicemen on its territory for training in the framework of multi-week courses on sniper shooting, skydiving and other special skills in the period up to 2018.
The note also mentioned the appointment of special military advisers from the Turkish army to train and advise the Ukrainian military. Joint exercises of the special forces of the two countries were planned for 2018.
Later, the 2016 plan was expanded to include additional units of the land, air and naval forces.
