Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday announced the first cabinet under Turkey’s new presidential system.
Turkish citizens backed the shift in the political system by a narrow majority in a referendum last year. Under the changes, the post of prime minister has been scrapped with the last prime minister Binali Yildirim becoming a nominee for the parliamentary speaker chair.
In the days following the June 24 elections, President Erdogan had vowed to form a non-AK Party cabinet which was slimmed down to 16 from 26 ministers.
In the presidential election, Erdogan received 52.59 percent of the vote. For the parliamentary election, his AK Party secured 295 seats in parliament with 42.6 percent of votes.
“Our organisations, municipalities, provincial organisations and ministers will not be the same as before. We are forming a cabinet with ministers who are not AK Party members,” Erdogan said on July 6.
Erdogan chose only one vice president, Fuat Oktay. He previously was undersecretary of the prime ministry.
Justice Minister
Abdulhamit Gul has kept his post as the minister of justice. He was appointed to the post in July 2017.
Foreign Minister
Mevlut Cavusoglu remains the foreign minister of Turkey.
Mevlut Cavusoglu served as the minister of European Affairs between the late 2013 and mid-2014. Then, he became the foreign minister of two previous governments.
Interior Minister
Suleyman Soylu also keeps his post as the interior minister of Turkey.
Suleyman Soylu joined the AK Party in September 2012.
Before Soylu became interior minister, he served as the minister of labour and social security between November 2015 and September 2016.
Minister of National Defence
Chief of General Staff Hulusi Akar is Turkey’s new minister of national defence.
Nurettin Canikli held the post before him.
Akar took the post of military chief in August 2015.
Minister of National Education
Ziya Selcuk is Turkey’s new minister of education.
Ismet Yilmaz was the minister of national education.
Selcuk headed the board of education and discipline between 2003 and 2006.
Minister of Health
Fahrettin Koca is the new minister of health.
Before Koca, Ahmet Demircan served as the minister of health.
Koca has been leading the executive board of Istanbul Medipol University since 2009.
Minister of Energy and Natural Resources
Fatih Donmez is the new minister of energy and natural resources.
Previously, Berat Albayrak was the minister of energy and natural resources.
Donmez has been holding the post of undersecretary of the energy ministry since 2015.
Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure
Mehmet Cahit Turan is the new minister of transportation and infrastructure.
Ahmet Arslan was previously the minister of transportation and infrastructure.
Turan was previously serving as the head of the General Directorate of Highways and advisor to the president.
Minister of Environment and Urban Planning
Turkey’s new minister of environment and urban planning is Murat Kurum.
Previously, Mehmet Ozhaseki was the minister of environment and urban planning.
Kurum is a civil engineer and has been holding the post of general manager of Emlak Konut, a real estate investment company.
Minister of Agriculture and Forestry
Bekir Pakdemirli is Turkey’s new minister of agriculture and forestry.
Ahmet Esref Fakibaba was minister of agriculture and forestry before.
Pakdemirli has held several senior posts in private companies, such as Turkcell and Albaraka Turk bank.
Minister of Culture and Tourism
Mehmet Ersoy is the new minister of culture and tourism.
Numan Kurtulmus most recently held this post.
Ersoy is a businessman and has more than 20 years of experience in the tourism industry.
Minister of Youth and Sports
Mehmet Kasapoglu is the new youth and sports minister of Turkey.
Osman Askin Bak was previously the minister of youth and sports.
Kasapoglu was the head of the state-owned sports betting company Spor Toto.
Minister of Labour, Social Services and Family
Zehra Zumrut Selcuk is the new labour and family minister of Turkey.
Julide Sarieroglu was the minister of labour and social security in Binali Yildirim’s cabinet before her ministry was reformed and renamed.
Selcuk is the Ankara representative of Women and Democracy Association (KADEM).
Minister of Treasury and Finance
Berat Albayrak is Turkey’s new minister of treasury and finance.
The treasury was a department operating under the finance ministry. Under the new system, the name of ministry has been changed to treasury and finance. Previously, Naci Agbal served as the finance minister.
Albayrak has served as the energy minister in the previous two governments.
Minister of Trade
Ruhsar Pekcan is Turkey’s new trade minister.
Bulent Tufenkci last held the post which used to be called the ministry of customs and trade.
Pekcan is the deputy head of the women’s entrepreneur committee in the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchange of Turkey.
Minister of Industry and Technology
Mustafa Varank is the new minister of industry and technology.
Faruk Ozlu was the minister of science, industry and technology in the previous cabinet. Ozlu’s ministry was joined with the development ministry to form the ministry of industry and technology.
Varank served as an advisor to the prime minister between 2011 and 2014. He then became advisor to the president for two years.
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