Turkey

Virtually all Turkish military camouflage patterns have their origins in patterns created by the United States. Although distinctive in their own right with regards to colorways, the drawings from which each pattern is printed do seem to have been borrowed from or at least influenced by American designs.

Turkish Camouflage Patterns

• One of the earliest camouflage patterns is a copy of the USA reversible M1942 spot pattern developed during the Second World War. This reversible design was printed on both sides of a lightweight canvas a shelter half, but privately produced helmet covers and even articles of clothing were also popular. Yet, the Turkish copy is not literal one, employing five colors on either side as opposed to the five/three colors of the US produced original. The green pattern employs spots of mid-brown, pinkish-tan, light olive green & tan on a moss green field, while the reverse side has mid-brown, grey, tan & stone-colored spots on a yellowish-sand field. The printing is oftentimes crude, with dyes leaching through to the opposite side. This pattern was in use from the 1970s into the 1980s, and possibly later as a helmet cover.

• Another Turkish variant of the M1942 spot design dating to the same period uses a completely different color scheme. Often nicknamed the "Aegean spot" for its bright blue-green tones reminiscent of the Aegean's waters, in practice this pattern was only worn by elite units of the Turkish Armed Forces. Although there is some variability to the colors of this pattern, it generally employs dark green, blue green, light brown & sea green spots on a greyish-tan background. The Turks continued to wear this pattern until the early 1990s.

• The second major influence on Turkish military camouflage design was the American M1948 ERDL pattern. Appearing in the late 1980s, Turkish "leaf" patterns based on the same or very similar drawings utilize different colorways and were also limited in use to elite units such as the Commandos, Paratroops, and Marines. The version illustrated below to the left, employs black, mid-brown & grass green leaf shapes on a khaki background; notable are the darker outlines around the brown and khaki areas. The second example (to the right) is much different, having black, chocolate brown & olive green leaf shapes on a pale green background, and lacking the outlines. This second pattern may have been specific to Marine & Navy Commando units. These camouflage designs saw service well into the 1990s, and possibly later.

• The US m81 woodland pattern has also been heavily copied by Turkey, and is the standard issue camouflage pattern of the Army today. The original version, introduced in 1989, incorporates black, chocolate brown & bright green woodland shapes on a tan or pinkish-tan background; hence it is often nicknamed "pink woodland" by collectors. This woodland pattern remained in service until the early 2000s.

• Another variation of the leaf or ERDL pattern entered the Turkish supply system in the mid-1990s. Often called "elongated leaf" or "squashed leaf" the pattern gives the impression that original ERDL drawings were stretched out horizontally (which may or may not be the case). The coloration of this pattern is relatively consistent, having black, dark brown & moss green shapes on pale green field. In service with the Turkish Army and the Gendarmerie through the 1990s, the pattern has also seen service with Azerbaijan and early formations of the Afghan National Army.

• Modern Turkish copies of the US m81 woodland pattern are nearly literal, lacking the broad color variations common to earlier versions (which is likely a product of improvements in the technology available to their textile industry). This remains in general service with the Turkish Army and the Marines, although the Turkish Air Force have their own version with a blue colorway.

• Another interesting variation of the m81 woodland pattern is worn by Gendarmerie (Jandarma) special operations units. Nicknamed "black woodland" the design features prominent black & brown shapes with olive green & greyish-green background.

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• Circa 2008, Turkey introduced a pixelated pattern using an arid/desert colorway for issue to some of its personnel. This is likely to become the standard pattern of the Turkish Armed Forces. The pattern incorporates olive green & reddish brown pixelated shapes on a khaki background.

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