Hulusi

Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar has accused Greece of harassing Turkish forces in the Aegean over the previous days, calling it "a very serious provocation."

Akar, who was on board frigate "Barbaros" at a Turkish naval base when he made his statement Sunday, said he "could not explain" Greek "provications" but could offer no specific examples, either.

Rear Admiral Cihat Yayci, architect of Turkey's policy on Libya and maritime borders in the Mediterranean Sea, has been removed as Chief of Staff of the Turkish Navy, according to reports in the Turkish media.

The reasons behind the decision, which was reportedly signed by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan late Friday, have not been officially confirmed.

The Greek naval training exercise "Kataigida '20" that was originally scheduled to begin on Monday was postponed until further notice over the weekend due to concerns stemming from the coronavirus pandemic and, reportedly, as part of a bid to find a balance in Greek-Turkish relations.

Turkey produced an indigenous mechanical breathing device, named Sahra, or desert, the national defense minister said on April 17. 

Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar reiterated Ankara's revisionist agenda on Thursday regarding the status of the Aegean in an interview with the widely circulated nationalist Sozcu newspaper.

Turkey's "defenses and are not weak" and it will "not tolerate" any purported violations of its sovereign rights, Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said on Thursday, accusing Greece of breaching international law by keeping troops on the islands of the eastern Aegean.

Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar reiterated on Wednesday that Ankara would continue its energy program in the Aegean, the Eastern Mediterranean and Cyprus. 

He said, in comments cited by Greek media, that Turkey wants good-neighborly relations with Greece but noted that "a compromise on our rights and interests is out of the question."

Turkish and Russian troops have conducted their third joint patrolling mission, the Turkish defense minister said on April 8, in line with the March 5 agreement brokered between Ankara and Moscow that brought a temporary cease-fire in Syria's Idlib province.

Justice Minister Abdulhamit Gül has announced that all judicial proceedings have been suspended until April 30, as part of measures taken to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus.

Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar received a high-ranking U.S. official and the U.S. ambassador to Turkey, the Defense Ministry said on March 3.