auto-update week 46

middle-east/am.json

@@ -569,7 +569,8 @@
       },
       "election results": {
         "text": "percent of vote by party/coalition - Civil Contract 53.9%, Armenia Alliance 21%, I Have Honour Alliance 5.2%, other 19.9%; seats by party/coalition - Civil Contract 71, Armenia Alliance 29, I Have Honour Alliance 7; composition - men 68, women 39, percentage women 36.5%"
-      }
+      },
+      "note": "<strong>note 1:</strong>  additional seats allocated as necessary; the numbers usually change with each parliamentary convocation<br><br><strong>note 2: </strong> four mandates are reserved for national minorities; no more than 70% of the top membership of a party list can belong to the same sex; political parties must meet a 5% threshold and alliances a 7% threshold to win seats; at least three parties must be seated in the Parliament"
     },
     "Judicial branch": {
       "highest court(s)": {

middle-east/sy.json

@@ -1115,7 +1115,7 @@
       "note": "<strong>note: </strong>pro-government militia and auxiliary forces probably number in the tens of thousands"
     },
     "Military equipment inventories and acquisitions": {
-      "text": "the SAF's inventory is comprised mostly of older Russian and Soviet-era equipment; in recent years, Russia has supplied the majority of Syria's imported weapons systems (2023)"
+      "text": "the SAF's inventory is comprised mostly of Russian and Soviet-era equipment&nbsp; (2024)"
     },
     "Military service age and obligation": {
       "text": "men 18-42 are obligated to perform military service; compulsory service obligation reportedly up to 30 months; women are not conscripted but may volunteer to serve, including in combat arms (2023)",

middle-east/tu.json

@@ -1242,7 +1242,7 @@
       "text": "approximately 480,000 active-duty personnel (380,000 Army; 50,000 Navy; 50,000 Air Force); approximately 150,000 Gendarmerie (2024)"
     },
     "Military equipment inventories and acquisitions": {
-      "text": "the military's inventory is mostly comprised of a mix of domestically produced and Western weapons systems, although in recent years, Turkey has also acquired some Chinese, Russian, and South Korean equipment; over the past decade, Italy, Spain, and the US have been among the leading providers of armaments to Turkey; Turkey has a robust defense industry capable of producing a range of weapons systems for both export and internal use, including armored vehicles, naval vessels, and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs); Turkey's defense industry also partners with other countries for defense production (2023)"
+      "text": "the military's inventory is comprised of domestically produced, European (particularly from Germany), and US weapons and equipment, as well as some Chinese, Russian, and South Korean acquisitions; it is a mix of older and modern weapons systems; Türkiye has a defense industry capable of producing a range of weapons systems for both export and internal use, including armored vehicles, naval vessels, and unmanned aerial vehicles/drones; Türkiye's defense industry also partners with other countries for defense production (2024)"
     },
     "Military service age and obligation": {
       "text": "mandatory military service for men at age 20; service can be delayed if in university or in certain professions (researchers, professionals, and athletic, or those with artistic talents have the right to postpone military service until the age of 35); 6-12 months service; women may volunteer (2023)",
@@ -1253,7 +1253,7 @@
       "note": "<strong>note:</strong> Turkey maintains significant military forces in both Iraq and Syria; size estimates vary as some forces are long-term deployments while others are deployed for specific operations; between 2016 and 2020, Turkey conducted four significant military ground campaigns in northern Syria with the stated purpose of securing its southern border; Turkey also has deployed troops into northern Iraq on numerous occasions to combat the Kurdistan Worker's Party (PKK), including large operations involving thousands of troops in 2007, 2011, and 2018, and smaller-scale operations in 2021 and 2022; Turkey has also conducted numerous air strikes in both Iraq and Syria"
     },
     "Military - note": {
-      "text": "the Turkish Armed Forces (TAF) have a range of responsibilities, including protecting the country's territory and sovereignty, participating in international peacekeeping operations, fulfilling Turkey’s military commitments to NATO, providing disaster/humanitarian relief and assistance to domestic law enforcement if requested by civil authorities, and supporting Turkey’s overall national security interests; the TAF also has overall responsibility for the security of Turkey’s borders; Turkey is active in international peacekeeping and other security operations under the EU, NATO, and the UN, as well as under bilateral agreements with some countries; Turkey has established expeditionary military bases in northern Cyprus, Qatar, Somalia, and Sudan<br><br>Turkey has been a member of NATO since 1952 and hosts a considerable NATO and US military presence, including the headquarters for a NATO Land Command and a Rapid Deployment Corps, multiple airbases for NATO and US aircraft, NATO air/missile defense systems, and training centers; the TAF is the second-largest military in NATO behind the US and exercises regularly with NATO partners; Turkey's geographic location at the southeastern flank of the Alliance give it and the TAF a critical role in regional security<br><br>the TAF is a large, well-equipped force comprised of a mix of professionals and conscripts; it has considerable operational experience; in addition to peacekeeping and military assistance operations in recent years in such places as Afghanistan (NATO), Bosnia and Herzegovina (EU), Kosovo (NATO), Lebanon (UN), and Somalia (bilateral), it has conducted combat missions of varying duration and scale in Iraq, Libya, and Syria; ; in Syria, it occupies a large swatch of territory and maintain thousands of troops; since the 1980s, the TAF has been involved in a protracted counterinsurgency campaign against the US-designated terrorist group the Kurdistan Worker’s Party or PKK, a Kurdish militant political organization and armed guerrilla movement, which historically operated throughout Kurdistan but is now primarily based in the mountainous Kurdish-majority regions of southeastern Turkey and northern Iraq; other key areas of concern for the TAF include tensions with fellow NATO member Greece over territorial disputes and Cyprus, tensions between neighboring Armenia and Azerbaijan, conflict in the Middle East, threats from the terrorist groups al-Qa’ida and the Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham, and the Russia-Ukraine war; under a long-range (2033) strategic plan, the TAF continues an effort to modernize its equipment and force structure<br><br>Turkey’s military has a rich history that it traces back to 200 B.C., although the modern TAF was formed following the collapse of the Ottoman Empire at the conclusion of the Turkish War of Independence (1919-1923); the TAF has traditionally had a significant influence in the country as the “guardian” of Turkish politics, but its political role was diminished after the failed 2016 coup attempt; the military has a substantial stake in Turkey's economy through a holding company that is involved in the automotive, energy, finance, and logistics sectors, as well as iron and steel production (2024)"
+      "text": "the Turkish Armed Forces (TAF) have a range of responsibilities, including protecting the country's territory and sovereignty, participating in international peacekeeping operations, fulfilling Türkiye’s military commitments to NATO, providing disaster/humanitarian relief and assistance to domestic law enforcement if requested by civil authorities, and supporting the country's overall national security interests; the TAF also has overall responsibility for the security of Türkiye’s borders; Türkiye is active in international peacekeeping and other security operations under the EU, NATO, and the UN, as well as under bilateral agreements with some countries; the TAF has established expeditionary military bases in northern Cyprus, Qatar, Somalia, and Sudan<br><br>Türkiye has been a member of NATO since 1952 and hosts a considerable NATO and US military presence, including the headquarters for a NATO Land Command and a Rapid Deployment Corps, multiple airbases for NATO and US aircraft, NATO air/missile defense systems, and training centers; the TAF is the second-largest military in NATO behind the US and exercises regularly with NATO partners; Türkiye's geographic location at the southeastern flank of the Alliance give it and the TAF a critical role in regional security<br><br>the TAF is a large, well-equipped force comprised of a mix of professionals and conscripts; it has considerable operational experience; in addition to peacekeeping and military assistance operations in recent years in such places as Afghanistan (NATO), Bosnia and Herzegovina (EU), Kosovo (NATO), Lebanon (UN), and Somalia (bilateral), it has conducted combat missions of varying duration and scale in Iraq, Libya, and Syria; ; in Syria, it occupies a large swatch of territory and maintain thousands of troops; since the 1980s, the TAF has been involved in a protracted counterinsurgency campaign against the US-designated terrorist group the Kurdistan Worker’s Party or PKK, a Kurdish militant political organization and armed guerrilla movement, which historically operated throughout Kurdistan but is now primarily based in the mountainous Kurdish-majority regions of southeastern Türkiye and northern Iraq; other key areas of concern for the TAF include tensions with fellow NATO member Greece over territorial disputes and Cyprus, tensions between neighboring Armenia and Azerbaijan, conflict in the Middle East, threats from the terrorist groups al-Qa’ida and the Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham, and the Russia-Ukraine war; under a long-range (2033) strategic plan, the TAF continues an effort to modernize its equipment and force structure<br><br>Türkiye’s military has a rich history that it traces back to 200 B.C., although the modern TAF was formed following the collapse of the Ottoman Empire at the conclusion of the Turkish War of Independence (1919-1923); the TAF has traditionally had a significant influence in the country as the “guardian” of Turkish politics, but its political role was diminished after the failed 2016 coup attempt; the military has a substantial stake in Türkiye's economy through a holding company that is involved in the automotive, energy, finance, and logistics sectors, as well as iron and steel production (2024)"
     }
   },
   "Space": {