Spain and Türkiye strengthen their military cooperation during an official visit by the Chief of Staff of the Spanish Army (JEME).
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Press Release, Madrid, 18 January 2025: [auto-translated] The Chief of Staff of the [Spanish] Army (Jefe de Estado Mayor del Ejército – JEME), Army General Amador Enseñat y Berea, has concluded an official visit to Türkiye, which took place between January 12 and 17. During this stay, he has fulfilled a broad agenda aimed at consolidating bilateral relations and exploring new areas of cooperation in the military and technological fields.
In Ankara, the visit began with a ceremony at the Anitkabir, the mausoleum dedicated to Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, founder of the Republic of Türkiye and symbol of its modernisation. General Enseñat paid tribute to Atatürk by laying a wreath, in an act that underlined the respect for the history and values of Türkiye.
Later, he held a meeting with General Selçuk Bayraktaroğlu, Chief of the Turkish Land Forces. This dialogue allowed them to address common challenges in defence and security, as well as to identify areas of mutual interest. In this context, the JEME visited the facilities of leading companies in electronics, electro-optics, land vehicles, defence technology, and missiles and rockets, as well as the UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) brigade of the Turkish Army.
In Adana, the JEME visited the Incirlik air base, where he interacted with the Spanish contingent that is deployed there as part of the A/T (Apoyo a Turquía – Support to Türkiye) operation, where Spain has had a Patriot battery deployed since 2015. This deployment demonstrates the bond of union and solidarity with the Atlantic Alliance, as well as the bilateral commitment to Türkiye.
The visit continued in Izmir, with a meeting at NATO’s Allied Land Command (LANDCOM), being received by Lieutenant General Jez Bennett (Deputy Commander LANDCOM). There, the Spanish contribution to land operations was analysed, as well as future commitments assumed by Spain. General Enseñat took the opportunity to meet with General Zacarías Hernández and the Spanish contingent deployed there.
As the final part of the visit, the JEME was received by the commander of the Aegean Army, Army General İrfan Özsert, at his Headquarters in Izmir. During his visit, he held a working meeting, where they explored opportunities to collaborate in the future.
General Enseñat stressed that this visit has served to demonstrate the commitment to the Atlantic Alliance, materialised, in this case, through the link with such an important strategic partner as Türkiye; to further strengthen relations with this country and explore new areas of cooperation; and, finally, to visit the Spanish contingents deployed in both Adana and Izmir.
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