The Republican era Gendarmerie and the duties it performed

In human history, it is possible to come across many experiences and examples of power-centered structures that exist with security concerns and law enforcement organizations that are its derivatives. Impressions of the existence or manifestations of these formations can easily be noticed in any corner of the world at any time. Turkish states, which have the power to preserve their existence from ancient history to the present day, have given utmost importance to the establishment of the relevant security until today, by displaying their will in accordance with the conditions of the said period, so that their people can continue their lives in security and peace. The word "candar", used by the Egyptian Turks in the sense of "guard, protective armed force", was the name given to the soldiers who established the safe survival of the provinces and guarded the sultan's palace during the Seljuk period. Over time, the aforementioned pronunciation spread to some regions of Anatolia as "cenderme" as a remnant from the Seljuks, and to the geography of Rumelia as "candarma". On the other hand, years later, the French word "gendarmerie", which has a similar pronunciation, was transferred to Turkish as "gendarmerie". The establishment of the law enforcement organization, which was developed with historical experience in the Ottoman Empire, became possible with the establishment of the Police Department under the Seraskerate in 1846, following the abolition of the Janissary Corps and the proclamation of the Tanzimat Edict. The establishment of the Ministry of Security in 1879 and the establishment of the Central Gendarmerie Department, which resulted in the adoption of the organizational regulations by imitating the success of the French law enforcement structure, constitute the foundations of the Turkish Gendarmerie structure that continues to this day. The ancient organization, which was structured as the General Gendarmerie Command in 1909, has always been at the forefront in both the establishment of public order and the execution of joint efforts on the fronts during the ten-year war period and the subsequent national struggle. As a result of the proclamation of the Republic and subsequent efforts to tighten the heritage institutions, the Gendarmerie Law No. 1706 was adopted in 1930 and the institutional experience began to be modernized under the conditions of the said period. The Gendarmerie, which served all over the country in the early Republic period, from protecting the borders to uprisings and rebellions, demonstrated its necessity for internal security with the manifestations of the total process created by the war, even though Turkey did not participate in the war live during the Second World War. So much so that it has become a powerful command that has been responsible for customs issues and most of the border lines since 1956, and has consolidated coast guard duties until 1983 and protected most of the land borders until 2013. With the Gendarmerie Organization, Duties and Powers Law No. 2803, adopted in 1983, the organization's structuring and military law enforcement status were strengthened and it was assigned with challenging duties under the conditions of the said period. On the other hand, the Turkish Gendarmerie, which has always been at the forefront in the fight against terrorism and terrorist operations since the early 1980s with its commando and internal security structure, is a well-established institution that has proven its existence in the establishment of safety and security with its law enforcement structure that can penetrate even the smallest settlements of the country. The Gendarmerie has not been indifferent to the developments of modern law enforcement structures in the world and has always kept its efforts for reorganization alive and has demonstrated its presence in the context of the foreign missions it carries out. In this context, considering the public diplomacy-oriented security efforts, the participation of the Turkish Gendarmerie in peacekeeping missions, especially the Cyprus Peace Operation, and its joint work with the gendarmerie organizations of other countries attract attention. The Turkish Gendarmerie, which has both hard and soft power components, makes significant contributions to Turkish foreign diplomatic relations as a security diplomacy force multiplier through the bridges it has built through law enforcement agencies around the world. As a result of the amendment made in the Gendarmerie Organization, Duties and Powers Law No. 2803 with the legislative regulations in 2016; By removing the word military from the phrase "armed military general law enforcement force" in the definition of gendarmerie, the process of loyalty and duty evolved into a different period. The Gendarmerie's affiliation status has been revised by being directly linked hierarchically to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and its presence under the General Staff in cross-border assignments has been abolished. The well-established Gendarmerie Organization, which has a long-term experience; Its restructuring, which is not mentioned much in academic studies written specifically for the Republic period, and its experiences in foreign missions as a security diplomacy actor are of importance. In this context, the aforementioned study, historical analysis and the remaining law enforcement organizations from the Ottoman Empire; Beyond the importance of restructuring with practices that imitate success in the conditions of the mentioned periods, it was created based on satisfying the curiosity about the foreign missions carried out by the Turkish Gendarmerie focused on security diplomacy in the context of international relations.