Police Special Operation Department

Polis Özel Harekât Dairesi
Active1983–present
Country Turkey
BranchGeneral Directorate of Security
TypePolice tactical unit
RoleCounter-terrorism
Law enforcement
Size22,000
Part ofRespective municipality-level police departments
Garrison/HQAnkara, Turkey
Nickname(s)PÖH, Üç Harfliler
Mascot(s)Eagle
Commanders
Current
commander
Selami Türker
Notable
commanders
Behçet Oktay
Turkish special forces police in Afghanistan (2008)

The Police Special Operations Department (Turkish: Polis Özel Harekât Dairesi) or Police Special Action[1] (Turkish: Polis Özel Harekât), abbreviated as PÖH, is the police tactical unit of the General Directorate of Security in Turkey. The force consists of 22,000 personnel, more than a thousand of whom are women.[2] It is also deployed as part of the Turkish occupation of northern Syria.[3]

  1. ^ Joost Jongerden, The Settlement Issue in Turkey and the Kurds: An Analysis of Spatial Policies, Modernity and War, Brill, 2007, p. 70.
  2. ^ "Emniyetin yiğit kadınları: Kadın Polis Özel Harekat". trthaber.com (in Turkish). 16 January 2021. Retrieved 12 March 2021.
  3. ^ "Turkish police special forces put on media display". Ahval. March 2018.