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Turkey’s paid exemption from military service system begins

Will the new paid military service waiver program be Turkey’s last?

Turkish army officers stand at attention during a ceremony marking the 96th anniversary of Victory Day at the mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk in Ankara, Turkey August 30, 2018. REUTERS/Umit Bektas      TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY - RC173FEBAEE0
Turkish army officers stand at attention during a ceremony marking the 96th anniversary of Victory Day at the mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, Ankara, Turkey, Aug. 30, 2018. — REUTERS/Umit Bektas

Turkish Minister of National Defense Hulusi Akar recently discussed the new paid conscription program colloquially known as “bedelli askerlik,” which roughly translates as “paid military service,” with the state-run Anadolu Agency. A law passed in July granted a one-time opportunity for men to complete their compulsory military service in just 21 days if they pay 15,000 Turkish liras (about $2,840) before Nov. 3.

Akar said 634,415 men had applied for the program, in which 37 classes will serve through February 2020. The program has processed three classes since August.

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