The Presidential Guard Regiment, formed in the early years of the republic as a presidential security detail, evolved into honor guards over time. As the face of the Turkish army for visiting leaders, they work hard to keep their image intact. Along with serving in ceremonies at the Presidential Complex, the guards perform their duties at ceremonies at Parliament, the Ministry of National Defense and the Office of Chief of Staff.
Maintaining strict discipline and sacrificing countless hours for preparations bring perfection to the harmony of the guards at the ceremonies.
Before every welcoming ceremony at the Presidential Complex, the guards are closely inspected by their superiors before dividing into three squads, with nine guards in each squad. Commanders of squads scrutinize the uniforms and equipment of each soldier before the ceremony, ensuring they are spotless.
The regiment also performs the national anthems of countries whose leaders attend welcoming ceremonies. Capt. Alper Topçu, who commands the military band of the regiment, says the Foreign Ministry delivers them musical notes of each anthem before the ceremonies. “Each band member studies them before we begin a rehearsal,” Topçu told Anadolu Agency (AA) on Saturday. In one day, they are ready to perform the anthems. The military band is comprised of 42 musicians playing brass instruments and percussion.
Since 2015, the regiment has included squads dressed in the historical uniforms of 16 Turkic states throughout history, from the Ottoman Empire to the Seljuk Empire, multiple Hun empires and the Mughal Empire. Along with certain welcoming ceremonies, the squads perform honor guard duty at ceremonies held on national holidays.
The Presidential Guard Regiment was officially founded on July 18, 1920, under the orders of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the first president and founder of the Republic of Türkiye. It was originally conceived as a military unit to guard the Turkish Parliament. On Oct. 16, 1920, it was transformed into the Guard Battalion.
This battalion fought in several stages of the War of Independence in 1920, including the Great Offensive and the Battle of Sakarya. After the war, it returned to its original location in the capital, Ankara. In 1953, it was converted into the Presidential Guard Regiment. Their guard duty ended after the July 15, 2016, coup attempt by the Gülenist Terror Group (FETÖ), and the duty of protecting the presidency was handed to the Turkish National Police.
First Lt. Mehmet Dalkıran, a company commander at the regiment, says the regiment lost 22 soldiers during battles in 1921 to defend the homeland against occupying forces. Dalkıran told AA that the guards are required to conduct regular training “so they can endure standing up for a long time under different weather conditions.”
“We have a comprehensive sports facility at the regiment. We undergo training in all weather conditions for physical efficiency and endurance there. We are honored to serve in the Presidential Guard Regiment,” he said.