Turkey's AKP government announced that it will put the issue of paid military service on the agenda following the presidential and parliamentary elections on June 24.
Despite his previous denials on the allegations regarding exemption from military service, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan initially signalled to change the view on April 29. "Paid military service is not on the government’s agenda at present. This would be disrespect for our martyrs considering Afrin and Euphrates Shield [military operations in Syria]," Erdoğan said, adding that they would discuss paid service after Turkey entered into the presidential government model following the elections.
Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım has recently said, "We have to find a solution to this, as the government, as the administration. God willing, this will be one of the most important topics we will discuss following the elections." Mahir Ünal, the spokesman for the AKP, has also said that they would consider the issue of paid military service after entering into the new presidential system.
MORE THAN 5 MILLION IN MILITARY CONSCRIPTION LIST
"Paid military service has led to a great expectation. More than five million young people say, 'Recruit us or leave us'. As the state, it is of our responsibility to solve this problem. Paid military service will be one of the top priorities of the new government," Yıldırım said on June 6.
Meanwhile, Fatih Atik, a coordinator from pro-government TV channel ‘A Haber’, claimed that Turkish Ministry of Defense and Ministry of Finance launched a joint operation, adding that the age limit for paid military service could be 28 or 25.
“Paid military service will be issued just after the elections before the local elections [March 2019], Atik said, saying that the fee of exemption from mandatory military service will be around 20,000 Turkish liras (~$4,447 -5,559).
In Turkey, military service is compulsory for all male citizens from 20 to 41 years of age. The duration of basic military service varies; while it is six months for those with a 4-year university or higher degrees, it is twelve months for those without university degrees.
