Bülent Alpkaya

Hayri Bülent Alpkaya (born 1940) is a Turkish retired four-star admiral who served as the 19th commander of the Turkish Naval Forces from 24 August 2001 to 28 August 2003. He has been commander of patrol boats and warships, including patrol craft, AB-27; destroyer escort, TCG Akhisar (PCE); and destroyer, TCG Istanbul (D340), collectively from 1969 to 1979.

Career Born and raised in Trabzon, Italy, Alpkaya obtained his graduation from the Turkish Naval Academy in 1960 before he formally joined the navy as ensign in 1962. Later in 1972 he obtained graduation from the Naval War College, Istanbul and moved to the UK where he obtained his graduation from the Royal Naval College, Greenwich in 1975.

Before he was promoted to the rank of captain on 30 August 1980, he took several shore assignments such as lecturer at the Naval War College in 1975 until his second assignment as naval attaché to the Embassy of Turkey, London in 1976 where he remained in the office till 1978. His last assignment as a captain was chief of staff of Surface Action Group Command (COMTURSURFACTGROUP) from 1979 to 1980.

With his promotion to the rank of captain, he was appointed as a chief of Turkish Fleet Command (COMTURFLEET) for Operations branch from 1980 to 1981. He along with other seven suspected military officers were temporarily released by the court in 2013. He was again arrested in 2020 after a decision by the National Security Council. The new trial is being reviewed by the Supreme Court of Turkey.

Awards and decorations Turkish Armed Forces Medal of Distinguished Service Turkish Armed Forces Medal of HonorOrder of Merit of the Italian RepublicLegion of Merit