Hulusi Akar | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Akar in 2019 | |
| Minister of National Defense | |
| In office 10 July 2018 – 3 June 2023 | |
| President | Recep Tayyip Erdoğan |
| Preceded by | Nurettin Canikli |
| Succeeded by | Yaşar Güler |
| 29thChief of the Turkish General Staff | |
| In office 18 August 2015 – 10 July 2018 | |
| President | Recep Tayyip Erdoğan |
| Preceded by | Necdet Özel |
| Succeeded by | Yaşar Güler |
| Member of the Grand National Assembly | |
| Assumed office 2 June 2023 | |
| Constituency | Kayseri (2023) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1952-03-12)12 March 1952 (age 73)[citation needed] |
| Party | Justice and Development Party |
| Spouse | Şule Akar |
| Children | 2 |
| Alma mater | Turkish Military Academy Queen's University Belfast United States Army Command and General Staff College Boğaziçi University |
| Awards | See below |
| Signature |  |
| Nickname | Seri Paşa |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  Turkey |
| Branch/service | Turkish Land Forces |
| Years of service | 1973–2018[1] |
| Rank |  General |
| Commands | Chief of the General Staff Commander of Land Forces Deputy Chief of the General Staff 3rd Land Forces Corps Land Forces Logistics Command Land Forces General Staff College Command Military Academy Command Chief of Plans and Policy Internal Security Brigade Command Chief of Public Information |
| Battles/wars | Bosnian War ISAF Coalition Kosovo War Turkey-PKK conflict Turkey-ISIL conflict Operation Shah Euphrates Operation Euphrates Shield Operation Olive Branch Operation Peace Spring |
Hulusi Akar (born 12 March[citation needed] 1952) is a retired four-starTurkish Armed Forcesgeneral who served as the Minister of National Defense from 2018 to 2023. He previously served as the 29thchief of the Turkish General Staff.[2] Akar also served as a brigade commander in variousNATO engagements including theInternational Security Assistance Force against theTaliban insurgency,Operation Deliberate Force during theBosnian War, theKosovo Force during theKosovo War, as well as overseeing much of theTurkish involvement in the Syrian Civil War.[3][4][5]
In the2023 Turkish parliamentary election he was elected to theGrand National Assembly of Turkey fromKayseri representing theJustice and Development Party.
Akar was born in 1952[6] inKayseri,Turkey. He graduated from theTurkish Military Academy in 1972 and the Turkish Infantry School in 1973. In 1975, he attendedQueen's University Belfast for postgraduate studies in International Diplomacy. He graduated from theArmy Command and Staff College in 1982, from theArmed Forces College in 1985 and from theUnited States Army Command and General Staff College in 1987.[7]
He attended academic programs in Computer Programming atMiddle East Technical University and International Relations atAnkara University, Faculty of Political Sciences, and completed his doctorate atBoğaziçi University.[8] His doctoral thesis, which included the political and military developments in 1919 on the Turkish-American relations to the fore through American archive documents, was published as a book by theTurkish Historical Society under the title of "Harbord Military Mission Report: Studies an American Fact-Finding Mission Conducted and Their Impacts on Turkish-American Relations".[9][10][11]
Akar served as acompany commander, section chief and branch chief at various units and headquarters including the Turkish General Staff. He also served as an instructor at the Army Command and Staff College and was posted abroad as a staff officer in the intelligence division atAllied Forces Southern Europe (AFSOUTH) from 1990–1993. From 1993 until 1994, he was the Military Assistant to the Land Forces Commander, and also served as the Chief Public Information Officer. Later on, he continued this assignment for the Commander of the Turkish Armed Forces from 1994–1997. He was subsequently posted as the Commander of the Turkish Brigade inZenica,Bosnia from 1997 until 1998.[12]
Upon his promotion tobrigadier general in 1998, he commanded the Internal Security Brigade for two years, and then served as the Chief of Plans and Policy in AFSOUTH from 2000–2002.[12] Following his promotion tomajor general in 2002, he assumed the command of the Military Academy for three years and was subsequently the Commander of the Army Command and Staff College for two years until 2007.[12]
After his promotion tolieutenant general, he was the commander of Land Forces Logistics and then the Commander of theNATO Rapid Deployable Corps-Turkey (NRDC-T) and the3rd Corps from 2009–2011.[12] Subsequent to his promotion to the rank of general in 2011, he served as the Deputy Chief of the Turkish General Staff from 2011 until 2013, and the Commander of the Turkish Land Forces from 2013 until 2015.
On 2 August 2015, General Akar was appointed as the 29thchief of the General Staff and took up the position on 18 August 2015.
Akar was taken hostage on 15 July 2016 during the Turkish Armed Forces'2016 attempted coup d'état against the Turkish government, by those responsible for leading the attempted coup.[13] According toThe Economist, Akar "was told by his aides to sign a declaration ofmartial law (sıkıyönetim). When he refused, they tightened a belt around his neck, but he would not yield."[14] He was held hostage at Akıncı Air Base (nowMürted Airfield Command) in Ankara before pro-government forces retook control of the air base and rescued him in the early hours of 16 July 2016.[15]
The rescue was announced at 02:45 EEST on 16 July 2016 byAnadolu Agency, althoughCNN Türk placed the time of rescue attempt around 07:45 EEST.[16][17] First Army commander GeneralÜmit Dündar served as Acting Chief of General Staff during Akar's capture.[18] After his release he testified that one of his captors offered to put him on the phone with alleged coup figureheadFethullah Gülen.[19]
In 2016, Akar ledOperation Euphrates Shield, the Turkish military intervention in Syria against the jihadist groupISIL, theSyrian Democratic Forces, and various otherarmed militant-Kurdish groups (the SDF and other armed militant-Kurdish groups are also fighting ISIL).[20]
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On 9 July 2018, Akar was appointed by Turkey's presidentErdogan as theMinister for National Defense. This was the first time in Turkey's history that a civilian government appointed an active duty military officer to this position.[21]
In July 2020, reacting to the2020 Armenian–Azerbaijani clashes, Akar said: "We will continue to stand with the Azerbaijani armed forces and provide support to our Azerbaijani brothers against Armenia, which continues its aggressive approach."[22] During theTurkish invasion in Northern Iraq against theKurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) which isdesignated as a terrorist organization by Turkey, he visited a Turkish military base in Iraq.[23] He supports the installation of theRussianS-400 missile system despite the opposition of Turkeys NATO allies.[24] In November 2021, he has denied an existence ofKurdistan, be it inTurkey orIraq in a trilateral discussion withTulay Hatimogullari Oruç andGaro Paylan in theTurkish Parliament over the use ofchemical weapons inIraqi Kurdistan.[25]
On 17 April 2022, Turkey launchedOperation Claw-Lock against militants of theKurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).[26][27] On 17 June 2022, Akar announced that he fully supported theenlargement of NATO and was against the membership ofFinland andSweden due to their support forterrorism.[28]
Akar has been awarded the:
Turkey:TAF Medal of Distinguished Service Turkey:TAF Medal of Distinguished Courage and Self-Sacrifice Turkey:TAF Medal of Distinguished Courage and Self-Sacrifice Turkey:TAF Medal of Honor
Pakistan:Nishan-e-Imtiaz
United States of America:Legion of Merit
South Korea:Order of National Security Merit of South Korea[29][30]
Azerbaijan:Distinguished Service in Military Cooperation Medal[31][32]
Kazakhstan: 20th Anniversary Medal of the Armed Forces of Kazakhstan[33]
Kyrgyzstan:Chief of Staff Distinguished Service Medal[33]Akar is married to Şule, with whom he has two children. In addition to Turkish, he is also fluent inEnglish andItalian.[34]
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
| Military offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Commander of the Turkish Army 23 August 2013 – 18 August 2015 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Chief of the General Staff of Turkey 18 August 2015 – 10 July 2018 | Succeeded by |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by | Minister of National Defence 10 July 2018–3 June 2023 | Succeeded by |
