Hulusi Akar

Defense Minister Hulusi Akar has expressed suspicion over the possibility of intentionally leaving mines in the Black Sea in a bid to pave the way for NATO minesweepers to enter these waters.

The defense ministers of Turkey, Italy, and the U.K. are scheduled for a tripartite meeting in Istanbul late on April 8 for discussing bilateral and regional security and defense cooperation, along with the issue of Ukraine.

Defense Minister Hulusi Akar on April 6 held an online meeting with his counterparts from Black Sea coastal countries and discussed the floating mines in the Black Sea and the issue of humanitarian corridors to Ukraine.

The discussions, held upon Turkey's invitation, were fruitful, the minister said in a statement after the meeting.

Turkey can provide ship support for the evacuation of civilians and injured Turkish and other nationals in Mariupol through the sea, Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said on April 3.

"In this context, our coordination with authorities of the Russian Federation and Ukraine continues," Akar said.

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron on Feb. 25 discussed Russia's military intervention in Ukraine in a phone call, a statement by the communications directorate said. 

According to the announcement made after the call, the two leaders addressed Russia's military intervention in Ukraine and the latest developments.

Defense Minister Hulusi Akar has said he met with senior Iraqi and Iraqi-Kurdish officials to discuss Turkey's ongoing fight against the PKK terrorist organization, which had been using the Iraqi territories since the late 1980s.

Defense Minister Hulusi Akar on Feb. 16 attended NATO meetings in Brussels amid a crisis between the Alliance and Russia over the latter's military build-up in eastern Ukraine. Akar also had a bilateral meeting with his Greek counterpart after a fresh debate between the two neighbors over the status of the Aegean islands.

The Turkish Parliament has suspended work for one week over increasing COVID-19 cases among lawmakers and the staff.

In the last month, 40 MPs only from the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) tested positive for COVID-19. The treatment of deputies from other political parties who contracted the virus is continuing.

Turkey has called Russia and Ukraine for restraint and dialogue amid ongoing escalation between the two neighbors on the eve of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's visit to Kyiv on Feb. 3.

The biggest problem between Turkey and the United States is the latter's support to the YPG in northern Syria, Turkey's defense minister has said, expressing his hope that the matter between the two allies can be resolved through dialogue.