UPDATE - Turkish president approves new military service law

Military service period to be reduced to 6 months under new law

UPDATES WITH MORE DETAILS, CHANGED HEADLINE, LEDE

By Muhammet Emin Avundukluoglu and Busra Nur Bilgic

ANKARA (AA) - Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday approved a new law cutting the military service period in half.

"The President of the Republic of Turkey has signed the new Military Law which is accepted in the Turkish Grand National Assembly today," AK Party spokesman Omer Celik said on Twitter.

The new law was ratified by the parliament on early Tuesday.

A total of 335 lawmakers approved the law in the 600-seat parliament, 17 lawmakers voted against it, and two lawmakers abstained.

The new law reduces the military service period to 6 months from 12 months, which also makes the paid military permanent for those who can afford it.

The Turkish citizens will be required to undergo a one-month military training and they will be exempted from serving for the rest five months by paying 31,000 Turkish liras ($5,371) under the the new law.

Kaynak:

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