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Hulusi Akar
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
29th Chief 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
Personal details
Born	(1952-03-12) 12 March 1952 (age 72) Kayseri, Turkey
Political party	Justice and Development Party
Spouse	Şule Akar
Children	2
Awards	See below
Signature
Nickname	Seri Paşa
Military service
Allegiance	Turkey
Branch/service	Turkish Armed Forces
Years of service	1973–2018
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 1952) is a former four-star Turkish Armed Forces general who served as the Minister of National Defense from 2018 to 2023. He previously served as the 29th chief of the Turkish General Staff. Akar also served as a brigade commander in various NATO engagements including the International Security Assistance Force against the Taliban insurgency, Operation Deliberate Force during the Bosnian War, the Kosovo Force during the Kosovo War, as well as overseeing much of the Turkish involvement in the Syrian Civil War.

Early life and education

Akar was born in 1952 in Kayseri, Turkey. He graduated from the Turkish Military Academy in 1972 and the Turkish Infantry School in 1973. In 1975 he attended Queen's University Belfast for postgraduate studies in International Diplomacy.

He attended academic programs in Computer Programming at Middle East Technical University and International Relations at Ankara University, Faculty of Political Sciences, and completed his doctorate at Boğaziçi University. 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 the Turkish Historical Society under the title of "Harbord Military Mission Report: Studies an American Fact-Finding Mission Conducted and Their Impacts on Turkish-American Relations".

Military career

Akar served as a company 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 at Allied 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 - Zenica/Bosnia from 1997 until 1998.

Upon his promotion to brigadier 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. Following his promotion to major 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.

After his promotion to lieutenant general, he was the commander of Land Forces Logistics and then the Commander of the NATO Rapid Deployable Corps-Turkey and the 3rd Corps from 2009-2011. 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 29th chief of the General Staff and took up the position on 18 August 2015.

Chief of General Staff

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. According to The Economist, Akar "was told by his aides to sign a declaration of martial law (sıkıyönetim). When he refused, they tightened a belt around his neck, but he would not yield." He was held hostage at Akıncı Air Base (now Mürted 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.

The rescue was announced at 02:45 EEST on 16 July 2016 by Anadolu Agency, although CNN Türk placed the time of rescue attempt around 07:45 EEST. First Army commander General Ümit Dündar served as Acting Chief of General Staff during Akar's capture. After his release he testified that one of his captors offered to put him on the phone with alleged coup figurehead Fethullah Gülen.

In 2016 Akar led Operation Euphrates Shield, the Turkish military intervention in Syria against the jihadist group ISIL, the Syrian Democratic Forces, and various other armed militant-Kurdish groups (the SDF and other armed militant-Kurdish groups are also fighting ISIL).

Defense minister

This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (November 2020)

On July 9, 2018 Akar was appointed by Turkey's president Erdogan as the Minister 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.

In July 2020, reacting to the 2020 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." During the Turkish invasion in Northern Iraq against the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) which is designated as a terrorist organization by Turkey, he visited a Turkish military base in Iraq. He supports the installation of the Russian S-400 missile system despite the opposition of Turkeys NATO allies. In November 2021, he has denied an existence of Kurdistan, be it in Turkey or Iraq in a trilateral discussion with Tulay Hatimogullari Oruç and Garo Paylan in the Turkish Parliament over the use of chemical weapons in Iraqi Kurdistan.

On 17 April 2022, Turkey launched Operation Claw-Lock against militants of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).

Awards and decorations

Akar has been awarded the:

•  Turkey – TAF Medal of Distinguished Service
•  Turkey – TAF Medal of Distinguished Courage and Self-Sacrifice
•  Turkey – TAF Medal of Honor
•  Pakistan – Nishan-e-Imtiaz
•  US – Legion of Merit
•  South Korea – Order of National Security Merit of South Korea
•  Azerbaijan – Distinguished Service in Military Cooperation Medal
•  Kazakhstan – 20th Anniversary Medal of the Armed Forces of Kazakhstan
•  Kyrgyzstan – Chief of Staff Distinguished Service Medal

Personal life

Akar is married to Şule, with whom he has two children. In addition to Turkish, he is also fluent in English and Italian.

See also

• List of Ministers of National Defense of Turkey

References

1. UĞUROĞLU, Orhan (19 December 2018). "Tutanaklara geçen kapışma". yenicaggazetesi.com.tr. Yeniçağ. Retrieved 3 February 2019.
2. "Yeni Genelkurmay Başkanı Hulusi Akar oldu (Hulusi Akar kimdir?)" [Who is our new Chief of the General Staff Hulusi Akar?]. Haber Türk (in Turkish). Istanbul. 16 July 2016. Retrieved 17 July 2016.
3. "Yeni Genelkurmay Başkanı Hulusi Akar kimdir?". Milliyet (in Turkish). Retrieved 5 August 2015.
4. Ergan, Uğur (5 August 2015). "Yeni Genelkurmay Başkanı Hulusi Akar oldu (Hulusi Akar kimdir?)". Hürriyet (in Turkish). Retrieved 5 August 2015.
5. "Orgeneral Hulusi Akar bu mesajla göreve başladı". Habertürk (in Turkish). 19 August 2015. Retrieved 19 August 2015.
6. ^ "Türk Kuvvet Komutanları biyografileri" (PDF). CİCA. Archived from the original (PDF) on 26 April 2021. Retrieved 25 April 2021.
7. Akar, Hulusi (2019). Harbord military mission report : studies an American fact finding mission conducted and their impacts on Turkish-American relations. Türk Tarih Kurumu. Ankara. ISBN 978-975-17-4233-9. OCLC 1126570070.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
8. "Bakan Hulusi Akar'ın doktora tezi kitap oldu". www.aa.com.tr. Retrieved 20 April 2022.
9. "Milli Savunma Bakanı Hulusi Akar'dan Boğaziçi Üniversitesi'ne ziyaret". Boğaziçi Üniversitesi Haberler. 17 July 2020. Retrieved 20 April 2022.
10. ^ "General Hulusi Akar, Chief of Defence of Turkey". NATO. 8 January 2018. Retrieved 25 November 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
11. "Turkey coup: military attempt to seize power from Erdogan as low flying jets and gunfire heard in Ankara and bridges across Bosphorus in Istanbul closed". The Telegraph. London. 15 July 2016. Retrieved 15 July 2016.
12. "After the coup, the counter-coup: The failed putsch was the bloodiest Turkey has seen; the backlash is as worrying". The Economist. 23 July 2016. Retrieved 23 July 2016.
13. "Turkey's Chief of Staff Hulusi Akar rescued from pro-coup soldiers". Daily Sabah. Istanbul. 16 July 2016. Retrieved 16 July 2016.
14. "Genelkurmay Başkanı Akar kurtarıldı". Posta (in Turkish). Istanbul. 16 July 2016. Retrieved 16 July 2016.
15. "Genelkurmay Başkanı Akar kurtarıldı". CNN Türk (in Turkish). Istanbul. 15–16 July 2016. Retrieved 16 July 2016.
16. "Orgeneral Akar kurtarıldı". Al Jazeera Türk (in Turkish). Istanbul. 16 July 2016. Retrieved 16 July 2016.
17. "Most Turks believe a secretive Muslim sect was behind the failed coup". The Economist. 28 July 2016. Retrieved 30 July 2016.
18. "The head of the Turkish General staff said the army its goals in Syria - FreeNews English - FreeNews-en.tk". Retrieved 24 February 2017.
19. Bekdil, Burak Ege (9 July 2018). "Erdogan appoints active duty military commander as Turkey's defense minister". defensenews.com. Defense News. Retrieved 10 July 2018.
20. "Armenian armed aggression against Azerbaijan, Turkey stands with Azerbaijan". The Eastern Herald. 16 July 2020.
21. Zaman, Amberin (4 May 2021). "Iraq scolds Turkey over latest anti-PKK offensive in Iraqi Kurdistan - Al-Monitor: The Pulse of the Middle East". Al Monitor. Retrieved 25 November 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
22. "Turkey's defense minister Hulusi Akar reaffirms Russian S-400 plans". The Economic Times. 12 November 2020. Retrieved 25 November 2021.
23. "Turkish Defense Minister denies existence of Iraqi Kurdistan". Gazete Duvar. 17 November 2021. Retrieved 25 November 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
24. Askew, Joshua (18 April 2022). "Turkey launches new military offensive in northern Iraq". euronews. Retrieved 20 April 2022.
25. "Turkey launches cross-border attack on Kurdish militants". South Wales Guardian. 18 April 2022. Retrieved 20 April 2022.
26. "Odierno'dan Orgeneral Hulusi Akar'a ödül". Hürriyet. 27 January 2015. Archived from the original on 3 February 2016. Retrieved 27 January 2016.
27. Tolga Tanış (28 January 2015). "ABD Kara Kuvvetleri Komutanı Odierno'dan Orgeneral Hulusi Akar'a ödül". Hürriyet. Archived from the original on 3 February 2016. Retrieved 27 January 2016.
28. "Genelkurmay Başkanı Orgeneral Akar Azerbaycan'da". Memleket. 6 October 2015. Archived from the original on 25 October 2015. Retrieved 27 January 2016.
29. "Orgeneral Akar'dan Azerbaycan ziyareti". TRT Avaz. 7 October 2015. Archived from the original on 3 February 2016. Retrieved 27 January 2016.
30. "T.C.CUMHURBAŞKANLIĞI : Hulusi AKAR". www.tccb.gov.tr (in Turkish). Retrieved 13 November 2020.

v t e Chiefs of the Turkish General Staff
İsmet İnönü Fevzi Çakmak Kâzım Orbay Salih Omurtak Nafiz Gürman Nuri Yamut Nurettin Baransel Hakkı Tunaboylu Feyzi Mengüç Rüştü Erdelhun Ragıp Gümüşpala Cevdet Sunay Cemal Tural Memduh Tağmaç Faruk Gürler Semih Sancar Kenan Evren Nurettin Ersin Necdet Üruğ Necip Torumtay Doğan Güreş İsmail Hakkı Karadayı Hüseyin Kıvrıkoğlu Hilmi Özkök Yaşar Büyükanıt İlker Başbuğ Işık Koşaner Necdet Özel Hulusi Akar Ümit Dündar Yaşar Güler Musa Avsever* Metin Gürak
* Acting Italics indicates Acting Chief during the 2016 Turkish coup attempt

v t e Fourth Erdoğan Cabinet (2018–2023)
Cabinet
President	Recep Tayyip Erdoğan
Vice President	Fuat Oktay (2018–2023)
Minister of Agriculture and Forestry	Bekir Pakdemirli (2018–2022) Vahit Kirişci (2022–2023)
Minister of Culture and Tourism	Mehmet Ersoy (2018–2023)
Minister of Energy and Natural Resources	Fatih Dönmez (2018–2023)
Minister of Environment, Urbanisation and Climate Change	Murat Kurum (2018–2023)
Minister of Family and Social Services	Zehra Zümrüt Selçuk (2018–2021) Derya Yanık (2021–2023)
Minister of Foreign Affairs	Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu (2018–2023)
Minister of Health	Fahrettin Koca (2018–2023)
Minister of Industry and Technology	Mustafa Varank (2018–2023)
Minister of Interior	Süleyman Soylu (2018–2023)
Minister of Justice	Abdulhamit Gül (2018–2022) Bekir Bozdağ (2022–2023)
Minister of National Education	Ziya Selçuk (2018–2021) Mahmut Özer (2021–2023)
Minister of National Defence	Hulusi Akar (2018–2023)
Minister of Labour and Social Security	Zehra Zümrüt Selçuk (2018–2021) Vedat Bilgin (2021–2023)
Minister of Trade	Ruhsar Pekcan (2018–2021) Mehmet Muş (2021–2023)
Minister of Transport and Infrastructure	Mehmet Cahit Turhan (2018–2020) Adil Karaismailoğlu (2020–2023)
Minister of Treasury and Finance	Berat Albayrak (2018–2020) Lütfi Elvan (2020–2021) Nureddin Nebati (2021–2023)
Minister of Youth and Sports	Mehmet Kasapoğlu (2018–2023)

v t e Ministers of National Defense of Turkey
Fevzi Çakmak Refet Bele Kâzım Özalp Fethi Okyar Recep Peker Abdülhalik Renda Zekai Apaydın Kâzım Özalp Ahmet Naci Tınaz Saffet Arıkan Ali Rıza Artunkal Cemil Cahit Toydemir Münir Birsel Hasan Saka* Hüseyin Hüsnü Çakır Refik Şevket İnce Ahmet Hulusi Köymen Seyfi Kurtbek Kenan Yılmaz Ethem Menderes Mehmet Fuat Köprülü* Adnan Menderes* Hasan Şemi Ergin Ethem Menderes Cemal Gürsel Fahrettin Özdilek Hüseyin Ataman Muzaffer Alankuş İlhami Sancar Hasan Dinçer Mustafa Hazım Dağlı Ahmet Topaloğlu Ferit Melen Mehmet İzmen İlhami Sancar Hasan Esat Işık İlhami Sancar Ferit Melen Hasan Esat Işık Sadettin Bilgiç Cihat Bilgehan* Turhan Kapanlı Hasan Esat Işık Neşet Akmandor Ahmet İhsan Birincioğlu Ümit Haluk Bayülken Zeki Yavuztürk Ercan Vuralhan Safa Giray Güneş Taner* Hüsnü Doğan Mehmet Yazar Barlas Doğu Nevzat Ayaz Mehmet Gölhan Vefa Tanır Oltan Sungurlu Turhan Tayan İsmet Sezgin Hikmet Sami Türk Sabahattin Çakmakoğlu Vecdi Gönül İsmet Yılmaz Fikri Işık Nurettin Canikli Hulusi Akar Yaşar Güler
*Acting Minister

v t e Commanders of the Turkish Land Forces
Nuri Yamut Kurtcebe Noyan Şükrü Kanatlı Nurettin Baransel Abdülkadir Seven Hakkı Tunaboylu Ahmet Nurettin Aknoz Necati Tacan Rüştü Erdelhun Cemal Gürsel Cevdet Sunay Muzaffer Alankuş Celal Alkoç Muhittin Önür Mehmet Ali Keskiner Cemal Tural Ahmet Refik Yılmaz Memduh Tağmaç Fikret Esen Nazmi Karakoç Faruk Gürler Semih Sancar Eşref Akıncı Namık Kemal Ersun Semih Sancar Kenan Evren Nurettin Ersin Necdet Üruğ Haydar Saltık Necdet Öztorun Necip Torumtay Kemal Yamak Doğan Güreş Muhittin Fisunoğlu İsmail Hakkı Karadayı Mehmet Hikmet Bayar Hikmet Köksal Hüseyin Kıvrıkoğlu Atilla Ateş Hilmi Özkök Aytaç Yalman Yaşar Büyükanıt İlker Başbuğ Işık Koşaner Erdal Ceylanoğlu Necdet Özel Hayri Kıvrıkoğlu Hulusi Akar Salih Zeki Çolak Yaşar Güler Ümit Dündar Musa Avsever Selçuk Bayraktaroğlu

• 1952 births
• People from Kayseri
• Turkish Army generals
• Commanders of the Turkish Land Forces
• Chiefs of the Turkish General Staff
• Living people
• People involved in the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt
• Recipients of Nishan-e-Imtiaz
• Ministers of National Defence of Turkey
• Members of the 66th government of Turkey