Evangelos Apostolakis

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
PresidentProkopis Pavlopoulos
Prime MinisterAlexis Tsipras
Preceded byPanos Kammenos
Succeeded byNikos Panagiotopoulos
Personal details
Born1957
Rethymno, Crete
Military service
AllegianceGreece Greece
Branch/service Hellenic Navy
Years of service1976−2019
Rank Admiral
CommandsChief 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 at the June 2023 Greek legislative election.

Career

He was born in Rethymno in 1957, entered the Hellenic Navy Academy in 1976 and graduated in 1980 as a Line Ensign.[1] 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.[1]

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.[1] 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.[1][2]

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.[3] 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.[4] Until the appointment of a new Chief of the HNDGS by KYSEA, the Deputy Chief, Lt. General Konstantinos Floros, was named acting Chief.[4]

Greece–Turkey relations

In 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.[5][6]

Dates of rank
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

References
  1. "Ναύαρχος Ευάγγελος Αποστολάκης ΠΝ, Αρχηγός ΓΕΕΘΑ" (in Greek). Hellenic Navy. Retrieved 5 September 2018.
  2. "Νέος αρχηγός ΓΕΕΘΑ ο αντιναύαρχος Ευάγγελος Αποστολάκης" (in Greek). in.gr. 20 August 2015. Retrieved 22 August 2015.
  3. "Νέος υπουργός Εθνικής Άμυνας ο Αρχηγός ΓΕΕΘΑ, Ευάγγελος Αποστολάκης" (in Greek). CNN Greece. 13 January 2019. Retrieved 13 January 2019.
  4. "Ορκίστηκε ο νέος υπουργός Εθνικής Άμυνας" (in Greek). in.gr. 14 January 2019. Retrieved 14 January 2019.
  5. "Spike in tension after tit-for-tat statements by Turkish DM, Greek military chief". Naftemporiki. 20 December 2018. Retrieved 13 January 2019.
  6. "Armed Forces Chief: If Turks land on an islet 'we will flatten it'". Kathimerini. 20 December 2018. Retrieved 13 January 2019.
  7. "Décoration de l'Amiral Evangelos Apostolakis et du vice-amiral Velissarios Pappas" (in French). 2 February 2016.
  8. "Griechischer Generalstabschef erhält Bundesverdienstkreuz" (in German). 10 November 2017.

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