Turkey's National Defense University marks 10 years with expanded military training reforms

The Turkish National Defense University (Milli Savunma Üniversitesi) celebrated its 10th anniversary with a video highlighting its growth and the overhaul of military education. Rector Prof. Dr. Erhan Afyoncu noted that since its establishment on 31 July 2016, following the 15 July coup attempt, the university has graduated 67,773 officers, non‑commissioned officers and trainees, including 3,429 from 46 friendly nations.

Afyoncu explained that the curriculum has been reshaped to match a new war concept, adding drone laboratories, virtual‑reality simulators, and expanded training in land, sea and air schools. The command‑staff education system was also restructured into a tiered model to broaden participation and focus on performance. These changes aim to produce officers proficient with modern weapons and technologies such as drones.

The university now comprises seven institutes, three war colleges, four non‑commissioned officer schools and a foreign‑language institute, reflecting its expanded role in preparing qualified personnel for the Turkish Armed Forces and allied partners.