Hulusi Akar

Turkey's National Defense Minister Hulusi Akar on Nov. 23 met with Somalia's Chief of General Staff Brig. Gen. Odawa Yusuf Rageh in the capital Ankara.

Rageh arrived in Turkey at the invitation of Chief of General Staff Gen. Yaşar Güler.

As the second largest army of NATO, Turkey is doing its best to protect the borders of the bloc against terrorism, human trafficking and smuggling, the Turkish defense minister has said, underlining that Turkey sees NATO as the center of its security.

A high-level defense group meeting between Turkish and U.S. officials was held in Washington, D.C., Turkey's National Defense Ministry said on Nov. 17.

At the meeting, which the ministry said was conducted in a positive and constructive atmosphere, the delegations exchanged views on bilateral and regional defense and security issues, it added in a statement.

Turkey and the United States have initiated separate talks for the former's request over the acquisition of 40 F-16 fighter jets and the reimbursement of payment for F-35 jets which the U.S. didn't deliver, the Turkish defense minister has said, informing that a Turkish delegation has been dispatched to Washington to this end. 

Meeting in Istanbul on Nov. 15, Turkish Deputy Foreign Minister Sedat Önal and his Russian counterpart Andrey Rudenko discussed regional issues, including Afghanistan.

Turkey's defense minister and his Qatari counterpart met in Istanbul, the National Defense Ministry said on Nov. 11.

According to the ministry, during the meeting, Hulusi Akar and Khalid bin Mohamed al-Attiyah discussed "bilateral and regional defense, security, and cooperation in the defense industry."

İYİ (Good) Party Group Deputy Chair Lütfü Türkkan on Nov. 6 resigned from his post at the party after he was accused of swearing at a protester in eastern province of Bingöl.

Video footage posted on social media showed Türkkan swearing at a relative of a person killed by the terror group PKK protesting İYİ Party leader Meral Akşener.

Defense Minister Hulusi Akar has called on Armenia to end "hostility," stressing that a future cannot be built in the region based on "grudge and hatred."

The main objective for Turkey and Azerbaijan is the continuity of a cease-fire and to bring stability to the region, Turkish defense chief Hulusi Akar said on Nov. 5 at a reception at the Azerbaijan Embassy in Ankara for Victory Day.

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and his Azerbaijani counterpart has jointly inaugurated a new airport in the recently liberated area from the Armenian occupation.      

Erdoğan is the first head of state to land at Fuzuli International Airport, Azerbaijan's first airport in the area recently liberated from Armenia.