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The recent launch of a voluntary military service program for women in Greece, with the first recruits reporting for training in the south-central city of Lamia, marks a milestone in the modernization of the country’s armed forces. The pilot initiative reflects Athens’ broader effort to expand its recruitment pool while offering women equal responsibilities and career opportunities within the military.

Women already serve across a wide range of operational roles in the Greek armed forces, including as fighter pilots, naval commanders and members of special forces units. The new voluntary enlistment scheme is part of a wider defense reform agenda aimed at strengthening personnel levels and enhancing operational readiness amid a shifting regional security environment.

First female army volunteers

First female volunteers report for duty at the Lamia Army Recruitment Center (Ministry of National Defense/Eurokinissi)

Across the Aegean, Turkey has adopted a different approach.

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Military service remains compulsory only for men, while women may pursue careers as professional officers through military academies but are not subject to conscription. Although Ankara has taken steps to increase female representation in recent years, women still account for a small share of Turkish military personnel and remain underrepresented in the armed forces overall.

Turkey has nevertheless recorded several symbolic milestones.

In 2022, Özlem Yılmaz became the first woman promoted to brigadier general in the gendarmerie, while the Turkish navy appointed its first female rear admiral the following year. At the same time, women continue to face restrictions in certain combat specialties, including the infantry, armored corps and submarine service, reflecting a more limited integration model than that adopted by many NATO allies.

According to recent reporting and analysis by To Vima, Greece’s defense reforms seek not only to address demographic pressures affecting military manpower but also to align the armed forces more closely with evolving NATO standards on personnel development, diversity and operational capability. The voluntary enlistment program for women forms part of that broader strategy, alongside reforms to military education, reserve forces and recruitment.