Işık Koşaner
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General Işık Koşaner, Commander of the Turkish Gendarmerie, was born in the city of İzmir, Turkey, in 1945.
Koşaner graduated from the Turkish Army Academy in 1965 and the Infantry School in 1966. Until 1976 he served in several contingents of the Turkish Army as a Platoon and Company Commander, as an instructor at the Mountain Commando School & Training Center Command in Eğirdir, and as a Platoon Commander within the Turkish Commando Brigade during Operation Atilla in 1974 which aimed to protect the Turkish Cypriots from the attacks of the EOKA-B paramilitary organization and to prevent the annexation of Cyprus by Greece under the Enosis plan. He was later appointed as the Commander of the Special Operations Forces at the Turkish General Staff Headquarters in Ankara. Koşaner graduated from the Turkish Army Staff College in 1978 and served as a command officer at the Special Warfare Department Command of the Turkish General Staff Headquarters in Ankara. After graduating from the NATO Defence College, he served as a command officer at NATO's Allied Forces Southern Europe (AFSOUTH) Headquarters in Naples, Italy. Koşaner later served at the Planning and Coordination Department of the Logistics Command within the Turkish 3rd Army. After graduating from the Royal College of Defence Studies (RCDS) in London, United Kingdom, Koşaner served as the head of the Strategy Division within the Strategy and Forces Planning Department of the Turkish General Staff Headquarters in Ankara. As a Colonel he commanded the 131st Infantry Regiment at the 8th Infantry Division of the Turkish Army before being appointed as the Commander of the Special Operations Command at the Turkish General Staff Headquarters in Ankara. In 1992 Koşaner was promoted to the rank of Brigadier General and was appointed with the command of the Logistic Planning Department and later the 1st Commando Brigade of the Turkish Army. Koşaner was promoted to the rank of Major General in 1996 and was appointed with the command of the Turkish Army Academy. In 2000 Koşaner was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant General and served as the Undersecretary of the Turkish Ministry of Defense and later as the Commander of the Turkish Peacekeeping Forces in Northern Cyprus. Koşaner was promoted to the rank of General in 2004 and served as the Commander of the Turkish Aegean Army and later as the Deputy Chief of the Turkish General Staff.
On August 4, 2006, General Koşaner was appointed as the Commander of the Turkish Gendarmerie.
General Koşaner is decorated with the "Turkish Armed Forces Medal of Bravery and Valour", "Turkish Armed Forces Medal of Distinguished Service", "Turkish Armed Forces Medal of Bravery and Valour in Cyprus" and the "Republic of Korea National Security Medal of Honour".
General Işık Koşaner is married to Nurdan Koşaner and has two children.
