Zekai Aksakallı

Lieutenant-General Zekai Aksakallı (1962, Erzurum) is a Turkish Special Forces Command commander. He graduated from the Turkish Military Academy. He was commander of the Turkish forces inside Syria in 2016 following the coup d'état attempt.

Zekai Aksakallı
Born1962
Erzurum, Turkey
Allegiance Turkey
Service/branchSpecial Forces
Years of service1984–present
RankKorgeneral
Commands heldSpecial Forces
Battles/warsTurkish involvement in the Syrian Civil War 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt

Biography

Born in Erzurum, Zekai Aksakallı is the father of two children. At the age of 17 he attended Erzurum High School and he represented Turkey in the high school cross-country championship organized in Austria for a number of years and became 27th among 397 athletes. Gen. Aksakallı has been serving as commander of the Special Forces Command since 2013. Aksakallı played a major role with his staff sergeant Sgt. Maj. Ömer Halisdemir in the prevention of the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt. As a result of his success, he was promoted to lieutenant general at the YAŞ meeting on 28 July 2016. The General Staff Special Forces Commander, Major General Zekai Aksakallı, who reacted against the coup attempt of Fetullahçı Terrorist Organization (FETO) by saying "Terrorists will not be successful", caught attention in Turkish public opinion.[1] He was commander of the Turkish forces inside Syria in 2016 following the coup d'état attempt.[2]

Zekai Aksakallı speaks English. He is an active officer of Turkish Armed Forces since 1984.

Ranks
YearGeneral ranksDuties
2009Brigadier generalSpecial Forces Command I.
2013Major generalSpecial Forces Commander
2016Lieutenant generalSpecial Forces Command
2nd Corps Commander

References
  1. "Zekai Aksakallı kimdir? Aslen nerelidir? Biyografisi" (in Turkish). Haber7.com. 2017-02-02.
  2. "Turkish Special Forces: From stopping a coup to the frontline of the ISIL fight". Hürriyet Daily News. 24 August 2016.
Military offices
Preceded by
Halil Soysal		 Commander of the Turkish Special Forces
2013-2017		 Succeeded by
Ahmet Ercan Çorbacı
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