Hulusi

A Turkish gunboat reportedly carrying Hulusi Akar, the Turkish armed forces' Chief of Staff, entered Greek waters on Sunday morning, English-language Kathimerini reports.

Greece's own armed forces were put on high alert over the development, with authorities seeing the move near disputed islands as a "provocation".

The Greek military was on high alert on Sunday after a Turkish gunboat carrying Chief of General Staff Hulusi Akar sailed into Greek waters and around the Imia islets at around 10.30 a.m.

The Turkish gunboat was escorted by several assault craft carrying commandos, which also circled the islets that brought Greece and Turkey to the brink of war 21 years ago, almost to the day.

According to reports, a Turkish fast attack craft has approached the island complex of Imia in Greek waters. The Turkish chief of General Staff, Hulusi Akar was reportedly on board the vessel. Imia is located on the southwestern mainland coast of Turkey and was the region at the centre of an incident that nearly led to a full blown naval conflict between Greece and Turkey in 1996.

Turkish Chief of General Staff Gen. Hulusi Akar met his U.S. counterpart, Gen. Joseph Dunford at the İncirlik Air Base in the southern province of Adana on Dec. 5, the Turkish General Staff has announced. 

The meeting came while Dunford was at the base to celebrate an early Christmas with U.S. soldiers at the base as a part of the annual USO Holiday Tour. 

Turkish Chief of General Staff Gen. Hulusi Akar met with his U.S. counterpart, Gen. Joseph Dunford, at the İncirlik Air Base in the southern province of Adana on Dec. 5, the Turkish General Staff has announced. 

The meeting came while Dunford was at the base to celebrate an early Christmas with U.S. soldiers at the base as a part of USO Holiday Tour.

Turkish Chief of General Staff Gen. Hulusi Akar visited the southeastern province of Kilis on the border with Syria on Nov. 23.

After landing at Gaziantep Airport in the early hours of the morning, Akar, accompanied by Land Forces Commander Gen. Salih Zeki Çolak, headed to Kilis by helicopter.

Gendarmerie in the southern province of Antalya on Oct. 5 detained four suspects allegedly involved in the murder of a 25-year-old male who was shot dead before being immolated in a forest, in an act allegedly inspired by a book written by one of the suspects.

The movement of U.S.-based Islamic preacher Fethullah Gülen is no different than the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), Levent Türkkan, Turkish Chief of General Staff Gen. Hulusi Akar's former top aide, has said, adding that both were "terrorist organizations."

Turkish troops have entered their fourth week in Syria. Most security and intelligence analysts believe Turkey has managed the process successfully so far. But there are dark clouds on the horizon that may force a policy change.

Turkey has no eye on any other country's territories and its recent cross-border operation into northern Syria is based on its right to self-defense, Turkish Chief of General Staff Hulusi Akar has said.