Full General Hulusi Akar graduated from the Military Academy in 1972 and the Infantry School in 1973. Between 1973 and 1980, he served in various units and in the Army Military Academy as Commander of the Squad Company Command and IT Officer. He graduated from the Army Military Academy in 1982, the Armed Forces Academy in 1985, and the United States Armed Forces Staff College in 1987.
He served in various positions and units including the General Staff, Operations and Training Department Supervision, Executive Officer and Branch Directorate. He also served as an Intelligence Officer at the Headquarters of the Allied Forces Southern District Command in Naples/Italy between 1990-1993 and as an Instructor at the Military Academy. In 1993-1994, Full General Akar worked as Private Secretariat of Land Forces Command Special Branch and Press and Public Relations Branch Offices and between 1994-1997, he served as General Staff Directorate Private Secretariat. In 1997-1998 he served as the Bosnian-Herzegovina Turkish Task Force Commander.
He was promoted to Brigadier General in 1998 and served as Head of Homeland Security Brigade in Tunceli/Hozat between 1998-2000 and Head of Plans and Principles of Allied Force Southern Region Command Headquarters in Naples/Italy between 2000-2002. He was promoted to Major General in 2002. With the rank of Major General; between 2002 and 2005, he served as the Commander of the Military Academy, and between 2005 and 2007 he served as the Commander of the Army Staff Academy. He was promoted to Lieutenant General in 2007.
With the rank of Major General; between 2007 and 2009, he served as the Commander of the Military Academy, and between 2005 and 2007 he served as the Commander of the Army Staff Academy. He was promoted to Full General in 2011. Full General Akar, who served as the second Chief of the General Staff between 2011 and 2013, was appointed to the Land Forces Command on August 3, 2013.
Full General AKAR, who was awarded the Outstanding Courage and Waiver Award due to his success at the Internal Security Operation of the General Staff, was also endorsed with the TAF Superior Service Medal and the TAF Medal of Honor. Full General AKAR also holds the US Merit Medal and the Republic of Korea National Security Merit Medal for his role in SFOR operations in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Full General Hulusi AKAR is married to Şule AKAR and father of two. He speaks English.
General Staff period
Full General Hulusi AKAR was appointed as Turkish Armed Forces Chief of General Staff in 2015. Making his first visit in a long time to the Incirlik Base as the Chief of Turkish General Staff after the Hood Event, the turning point of US-Turkey relations in November 2015. In the same year, it was stated at the NATO Military Committee Meeting that PYD, which cooperated with coalition forces against Daesh in Syria, was a terrorist organization and that the PKK was trying to gain legitimacy in international public opinion by benefiting from civil war in Syria and Iraq. At the time of the continuing operations of Hendek, he carried out visits to the region to perform observations on site with Diyarbakır Air Force Commander Full General Abidin Unal. On May 1, 2016, he went to Nusaybin, Mardin, where the conflicts were ongoing, and observed the operations on site.
July 15 Process
General Hulusi AKAR, who was held hostage by the soldiers who were attempting a coup in the Akıncı Air Base after the military coup attempt on July 15, 2016, was rescued with the operation carried out on Saturday, July 16th. While held hostage, the first Army Commander Ümit Dündar was appointed to AKAR's office by proxy.
On the night of July 15th, one of the first places where the FETO traitors took action was the General Staff. The coup plotters, also backed by Full General Hulusi Akar's command stage personnel and special secretary staff, took Full General Hulusi Akar hostage to sign a coup declaration. Putschists put a gun to Full General Akar’s head and throttled him with a belt. Hulusi Akar was told, “If you sign the declaration, your life will not be in danger.” Refusing to sign the declaration, Full General Akar and his alliance were taken to Akıncı Base by helicopter.
General Hulusi was seen for the first time in Çankaya after he was rescued with an operation carried out at Akıncı Air Base in Ankara on Saturday morning, July 16th. Showing up to the press together with the Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım, Full General Akar attended the special session in the assembly in the afternoon; after the session concluded General Hulusi posed for unity with the TBMM President, opposition party leaders, and higher judicial bodies .
“A disgrace”
Hulusi, in his statement to Ankara's Chief Public Prosecutor's Office after the coup attempt of the FETÖ, stated that "While security, governorships, political institutions, justice organizations, intelligence and armed forces are all in great coordination gaining successful results, especially towards separatist terrorist organization in the Southeast, this coward coup attempt aimed at the government of the Republic of Turkey was a black mark on our history."
He attended the Yenikapı Public Meeting
Hulusi Akar, under the patronage of the presidency, said in his speech, at the “Democracy and Martyrs’ Meeting”, held at Yenikapı by Istanbul Governorate and Metropolitan Municipality that he carried the honor and enthusiasm of being in such a meaningful meeting with the Turkish Armed Forces command echelon.
Akar expressed on July 15 that a group of illegal gang members infiltrated the Turkish Armed Forces along with all the other institutions and organizations of the country, the Fetullah Terrorist Organization had inflicted such dirtiness and disgrace as never seen in history and that the great history of TAF, which had been full of honor and glory, was defamed.
Mention of July 15 on Republic Day
Chief of the General Staff Full General Hulusi Akar, in his Republic Day message, said, our army relies on the principle 'Sovereignty is unconditionally the nations,’ far from any kind of external effect, is tightly bound together and stands against malicious wills as a fortress. The most vivid example of this posture was seen on July 15. Apart from betraying their nation, planning to be servants of some certain focuses, the traitors maliciously attempted to assault all of our sacred values; however, they have been repelled by the vast majority of TAF, and by the devote glorious stance of our nation.”
