Creeping Shadows: YAŞ, Hulusi Akar and the Spectre of the End of the Erdoğan Era
By Gareth Jenkins
August 30, 2021
The promotions and assignments announced after the August 4, 2021 annual meeting of the Supreme Military Council (YAŞ), which is responsible for deciding appointments in the Turkish high command, reaffirmed President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s control over what had once been the most powerful institution in the country. Nevertheless, in recent weeks there has been considerable speculation that a career army officer, namely former Chief of the Turkish General Staff (TGS) and current Defense Minister Hulusi Akar, is trying to position himself as Erdoğan’s heir apparent.
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