A comment under article about Turkish army. I think it's good summary of what S. has been telling me since December:

I remember well my military service in Turkiye. Who can forget! It was like a true hell on Earth. Much worse than hell actually. I was under constant psychological and physical torture: beating, very bad and very little food, very bad or no hygiene, insults and obscene language, insults to my family members like mother, father and siblings, zero recreation, very bad sleeping quarters with no heating in near zero centigrade temprature or no ventilation in 50+ deg/centigrade (let alone air conditioning), busted pipes flooding the floors. TSK violated every word and merit of Geneva convention for POWs. Being a POW in communist Russia would be much better. This was under TSK, its pasha now talks about the importance of secularism and democracy for modern Turkey. Who the hell is he kidding?

Source: http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/n.php?n=basbug-8216a-demoralized-military-is-a-national-problem8217-2010-02-11

Absurd?

Heh...

what do you think word "voluntary" means? or i should better ask, how you think it's understood in turkish army?
probably we have already mentioned that S. signed documents stating that he voluntarily joins the army. well, he didn't do it voluntarily, but he had to sign such statement.
two weeks similar thing took place. he was in the hospital, undergoing a number of tests ordered by the military doctor. at the same time red crescent was collecting blood from conscripts. in theory blood donation was voluntary, but S. is punished for avoiding donation. it seems his supervisors consider him to be some kind of a saint or jesus - that must be the case, otherwise how can they expect him to be in two places at the same time? so he didn't voluntarily donate his blood and he is forbidden to go out of the base on the weekends. the problem is i had bought plane tickets to see him, but i won't. and it's all because apparently S. and me have wrong understanding of voluntarism.