Hulusi Akar

Hulusi Akar
Name	Hulusi Akar
Birth date	12 January 1952
Birth place	Kayseri
Allegiance	Turkey
Branch	Turkish Land Forces
Service years	1972–2018
Rank	General
Laterwork	Minister of National Defense

Hulusi Akar

Hulusi Akar is a retired Turkish general and politician who served as Chief of the Chief of the General Staff and later as Minister of National Defense. He has been a central figure in contemporary Turkish Armed Forces leadership, involved in operations and relations with states and organizations across NATO, the United States Department of Defense, the Russian Federation, and regional actors. Akar’s career intersects key events including the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt, military operations in Syria, and NATO strategic dialogues.

Early life and education

Akar was born in Kayseri and graduated from the Turkish Military Academy in 1972, later attending the Turkish Land Forces Command, Turkish Army Staff College, and the Armed Forces College (Turkey). His professional military education included courses and staff officer programs linked to institutions such as the NATO Defence College, the United States Army War College and exchanges with the British Army, French Army, German Army (Bundeswehr), and Pakistani Army staffs. He completed training with curricula connected to the Turkish General Staff and served in units associated with the 3rd Army (Turkey), 7th Corps (Turkey), and other formations.

Military career

Akar held command and staff positions including platoon, battalion and brigade leadership within the Turkish Land Forces, and assignments at the First Army of Turkey, Second Army of Turkey, and the Special Forces Command (Turkey). He served as chief of staff in corps and army headquarters, and was appointed to high-level posts within the General Staff of the Republic of Turkey. Akar commanded formations that engaged in operations linked to counterinsurgency against the Kurdistan Workers' Party and border security missions near Iraq, Syria, and Greece. He rose through ranks alongside contemporaries from the Turkish Military Academy and staff colleges, culminating in appointments influenced by cabinets including those led by Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and defense leadership circles tied to the Ministry of National Defense.

Tenure as Chief of the General Staff

Appointed Chief of the General Staff of the Republic of Turkey in 2015, Akar presided over the Turkish Armed Forces during the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt and subsequent restructurings that affected institutions such as the Gendarmerie General Command and the National Intelligence Organization. His tenure included oversight of cross-border interventions like Operation Euphrates Shield, Operation Olive Branch, and operations in northern Iraq, involving coordination with entities including NATO, the United States Department of State, the Russian Ministry of Defence, and regional militaries from Qatar and Azerbaijan. He engaged with counterparts such as leaders from the United States Armed Forces, the Israeli Defense Forces, the Hellenic Armed Forces, and the Syrian Democratic Forces context, while managing procurement and doctrine shifts tied to platforms like F-35 Lightning II discussions, S-400 missile system controversies, and modernization programs in cooperation with firms like ASELSAN, TUSAŞ (Turkish Aerospace Industries), and ROKETSAN.

Minister of National Defense

In 2018 Akar transitioned to civilian office as Minister of National Defense under the Presidency of Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. He led defense diplomacy with delegations to Washington, D.C., meetings at the NATO Summit, and bilateral talks with ministers from Russia, Iran, Azerbaijan, Greece, France, and Germany. Akar navigated crises related to Syria, including negotiations over Idlib Governorate, ceasefire mechanisms involving Moscow and Ankara channels, and coordination with United Nations envoys and the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe. He managed procurement decisions affecting relations with United States Department of Defense agencies, debates over F-35 Lightning II participation, and the acquisition of systems such as the S-400 missile system from the Russian Federation.

Role in Turkish politics and international relations

Akar has been a key interlocutor between the Turkish Armed Forces and civilian leadership in cabinets of Binali Yıldırım and Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, and has been involved in domestic security policy debates after the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt and during counterterrorism efforts targeting Kurdistan Workers' Party and ISIL. In diplomacy he engaged with counterparts from NATO, the European Union, the United States Department of State, the Russian Federation, Iran, Azerbaijan, Greece, and Israel, and participated in multinational working groups addressing border security, refugee flows from Syria, and regional stability frameworks. His public statements and appearances intersected with parliamentary committees of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, interactions with opposition leaders from parties such as the Republican People's Party (Turkey), Justice and Development Party (Turkey), and Peoples' Democratic Party (Turkey), and diplomatic engagements during summits including NATO Summit sessions and meetings with leaders like Joe Biden, Vladimir Putin, and Emmanuel Macron.

Awards and honors

Akar received Turkish military decorations and foreign awards recognizing service and cooperation, including honors associated with the Turkish Armed Forces Medal of Honor, medals from the NATO alliance, and state awards presented by countries such as the United States, Azerbaijan, Pakistan, Qatar, Jordan, Russia, and France. He has been acknowledged by military institutions like the Turkish General Staff and educational entities including the Turkish Military Academy and staff colleges, and has held ceremonial recognitions from partner forces and defense ministries in bilateral contexts.

Category:1952 births Category:Living people Category:Turkish generals Category:Ministers of National Defense (Turkey)