Headquarters

Joint Command Southeast

Public Information Office

PRESS RELEASE

2 September 1999

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Transition to the new command structure at Allied Land Forces Southeastern Europe (LANDSOUTHEAST)

Allied Land Forces Southeastern Europe officially assumed the name Joint Command Southeast in a ceremony held in its headquarters in Izmir (1 September).

The former LANDSOUTHEAST which commanded land elements only, now has a structure where the land, air and navy elements will operate jointly. With the implementation of the new command structure, the ratio between the Turkish and other Allied personnel also changes and multinationality at core staff level increases to 52% from 41%. In addition to the Canadian, German, Italian, Turkish, U.K. and U.S. personnel already assigned to the headquarters, Greece, Hungary, the Netherlands, and Spain will also be represented.

This multinationality is also reflected at the command group level. While the commad billet is occupied by the Turkish Army General Tamer Akbas, the Deputy Commander is Major General Zannie O. Smith from the US Army and the Chief of Staff is Major General Georgios Manioudakis from the Greek Army.

General Tamer Akbas who made a speech at the ceremony stated that transition to the new command structure marked a new era in the history of the Alliance. He said that the Joint Command Southeast was now a bigger family and that tolerance, mutual respect, transparency, high morale, and military discipline would be the guiding beacons in the relationships within this family where a total of 10 Allied countries were represented. General Akbas also emphasized that multinationality would enhance the effectiveness at Joint Command Southeast and also contribute to cohesion and solidarity among Alliance nations.

The activation of the new command structure marks a culminating point of over 5 years of work. The new command structure will deal more effectively with the new post-Cold War security environment in Europe, with ongoing NATO initiatives including the JCTF concept, the strengthening of the European Security and Defense Identity in the Alliance, NATO enlargement as well as the instabilities surrounding the southern European Region.

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Headquarters Joint Command Southeast

Public Information Office

Sirinyer, Izmir

Tel: 90-232-4484848/2007/2008

Fax: 90-232-4484495

e-Mail: [email protected]

https://nato.org.tr