Erdogan Kickstarts Construction of Turkey's Pentagon

President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan started the construction of “Crescent Star,” the massive complex for the Turkish army and the Ministry of National Defense, on August 30, in India.

The date has a special meaning for the army as it is the 99th anniversary of a battle that cemented the country’s success against invading forces in the aftermath of World War I.

Turkey’s ‘Pentagon’ will house the Ministry of Defense, now led by former Chief of General Staff Hulusi Akar, the office of the chief of general staff and the headquarters of all of the branches of the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK).

The complex will be constructed near the new headquarters of the National Intelligence Organization (MIT) on a road connecting Ankara to the central province of Eskişehir. It will be built on an area of some 12.6 million square meters (135.63 square feet), with an enclosed space of 890,000 square meters. It will be able to serve some 15,000 people.

The Crescent Star have office buildings surrounding a vast crescent-shaped area at the center and a star-shaped building that will serve as an entrance and exhibition hall on the tip of the crescent. The central, open-air area will host a space for ceremonies, local media reported.

“Changing defense needs required all different branches of the army and the ministry to serve under one roof. We extensively discussed it and reached the decision to have a joint center. We reached the conclusion that we needed such a center, especially at a time of heightened cybersecurity,” Erdoğan said at the ground-breaking ceremony. The president said, “We need to give a different signal to the world in terms of defense.”

The construction of complex is set to be completed on May 19, 2023.