Hulusi

By George Gilson

Turkey and Greece can resolve their problems only by establishing dialogue and direct contacts, Defense Minister Hulusi Akar has said, criticizing certain Greek politicians for escalating tension between the two neighbors for their political ambitions.

After months of declarations from top Turkish government officials that Greece's sovereignty over a number of its islands in the eastern Mediterranean is contingent upon Athens demilitarising them, now Turkish Defence Minister Hulusi Akar has reportedly decided that he wishes to forbid Deputy Defence Minister Nikos Hardalias from visiting the said islands without Ankara's permission.

Straight on the heels of the recent barrage of Turkish violations of Greek airspace, with flights over large, inhabited Aegean islands such as Rhodes and Kalymnos and the Imia rock islets (that led the two countries to the brink of war in 1996), and two strongly-worded Greek foreign ministry demarches to Ankara's ambassador to Athens, Turkish Defence Minister Hulusi Akar unleashed yet another a

Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar has said the country is determined to put an end to the PKK terrorist organization, while highlighting that some 57 terrorists have been neutralized during the latest anti-terror operation Claw-Lock.

The Turkish army is continuing to stay vigilant against the naval mines in the Black Sea, the defense minister has said, stressing that marine traffic through the Bosporus is not affected by the drifting sea mines and runs as usual.

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.

Turkish National Defense Minister Hulusi Akar met on Oct. 21 with his U.S., British, Greek and Spanish counterparts in Brussels. Akar and British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace discussed bilateral and regional defense and security as well as defense industry cooperation.

The 63rd round of the consultative talks between Turkey and Greece took place in Ankara on Oct. 6 amid recent bilateral tensions between the two neighbors regarding the eastern Mediterranean.

Ahead of the meeting, Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar on Oct. 5 urged Greece to keep dialogue channels open in bilateral disputes.

Any threats against Azerbaijan will be looked upon as threats against Turkey, Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said.