Originally Posted by
ORAC
CENTO TACEVAL at Diyarbakir in mid-1970s, RAF S/L mentions casually to Turkish DISTAFF that he had found a guard asleep and woken him up. Turks identify guard, give him a field court martial, put him against the wall and shoot him. S/L sent home in shock at result of his offhand remark.
Widespread rumour was that base commander had an allowance of 5 conscripts a year to keep them on their toes.
I went as an observer the next year - which was the last before CENTO was dissolved - but that's another story.
Not quite as extreme but in 1969, took the Akrotiri Vulcans to Mehrabad, as was, found a conscript pan guard stealing soft drinks from the fridge. Someone mentioned it to the liaison officer. Guard taken away and flogged.