Admiral Evangelos Apostolakis (Greek: Ευάγγελος Αποστολάκης) is a Greek naval officer. After leading the Hellenic Navy General Staff in 2013–2015, he served as the Chief of the Hellenic National Defence General Staff until 14 January 2019, and then, until 9 July 2019, as the Minister of National Defence of Greece.
Evangelos Apostolakis | |
|---|---|
 Admiral Apostolakis in 2018 | |
| Minister of National Defence | |
| In office 15 January 2019 – 9 July 2019 | |
| President | Prokopis Pavlopoulos |
| Prime Minister | Alexis Tsipras |
| Preceded by | Panos Kammenos |
| Succeeded by | Nikos Panagiotopoulos |
| Personal details | |
| Born | May 14 1957 (age 67) Rethymno, Crete |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  Greece |
| Branch/service | Hellenic Navy |
| Years of service | 1976−2019 |
| Rank |  Admiral |
| Commands | Chief of the Hellenic National Defence General Staff Chief of the Hellenic Navy General Staff Commander of the Underwater Demolition Command (DYK) |
He was elected to the Greek Parliament on the nationwide list for Syriza both in May and June 2023 Greek legislative elections. On 28 November 2024 he left the party and became independent.[1]
Career
editHe was born in Rethymno on 14 May 1957. Entered the Hellenic Navy Academy in 1976 and graduated in 1980 as a Line Ensign.[2] He has served in a succession of command and staff positions aboard ships, and senior staff positions in the Hellenic Navy and NATO, as well as completing the Underwater Demolition School of the Hellenic Navy's elite Underwater Demolition Command (DYK), which he later commanded, the Advanced Mine Warfare School in Belgium and the US Amphibious Warfare School.[2]
On 7 March 2013, the Government Council for Foreign Affairs and Defence (KYSEA) appointed him to the post of Chief of the Hellenic Navy General Staff.[2] On 20 August 2015, KYSEA selected him as the successor of General Michail Kostarakos as Chief of the Hellenic National Defence General Staff, promoting him to full Admiral. The order took effect on 15 September.[2][3]
Following the resignation of Minister of National Defence Panos Kammenos on 13 January 2019, Apostolakis was named as his successor by Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras.[4] He was placed into retirement and immediately sworn in as Minister of National Defence on 14 January, with the official hand-over scheduled for 15 January.[5] Until the appointment of a new Chief of the HNDGS by KYSEA, the Deputy Chief, Lt. General Konstantinos Floros, was named acting Chief.[5]
Greece–Turkey relations
editIn December 2018, Apostolakis was quoted at meeting with defence ministry correspondents as saying, "If the Turks land on a Greek rock islet we will flatten it." He also stated that efforts were focused on avoiding a military conflict with Turkey.[6][7]
Dates of rank
edit Ensign
|
1980 |
 Sub-Lieutenant
|
1983 |
 Lieutenant
|
1987 |
 Lieutenant Commander
|
1992 |
 Commander
|
1997 |
 Captain
|
2004 |
 Commodore
|
2009 |
 Rear Admiral
|
2011 |
 Vice Admiral
|
2012 |
| Admiral
|
2015 |
Awards
edit- Grand Cross of the Order of the Phoenix (Greece)
- Commander of the Order of Honour (Greece)
- Commander of the National Order of Merit (France)[8]
- Knights Commander's Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany[9]
References
edit- ^ Evangelos Apostolakis also left SYRIZA!
- ^ a b c d "Vice Admiral Evangelos Apostolakis HN". Hellenic Navy. Retrieved 30 November 2024.
- ^ "Νέος αρχηγός ΓΕΕΘΑ ο αντιναύαρχος Ευάγγελος Αποστολάκης" (in Greek). in.gr. 20 August 2015. Retrieved 22 August 2015.
- ^ "Νέος υπουργός Εθνικής Άμυνας ο Αρχηγός ΓΕΕΘΑ, Ευάγγελος Αποστολάκης" (in Greek). CNN Greece. 13 January 2019. Retrieved 13 January 2019.
- ^ a b "Ορκίστηκε ο νέος υπουργός Εθνικής Άμυνας" (in Greek). in.gr. 14 January 2019. Retrieved 14 January 2019.
- ^ "Spike in tension after tit-for-tat statements by Turkish DM, Greek military chief". Naftemporiki. 20 December 2018. Retrieved 13 January 2019.
- ^ "Armed Forces Chief: If Turks land on an islet 'we will flatten it'". Kathimerini. 20 December 2018. Retrieved 13 January 2019.
- ^ "Décoration de l'Amiral Evangelos Apostolakis et du vice-amiral Velissarios Pappas" (in French). 2 February 2016.
- ^ "Griechischer Generalstabschef erhält Bundesverdienstkreuz" (in German). 10 November 2017.
External links
edit
Media related to Evangelos Apostolakis at Wikimedia Commons