Incoming Turkey PM unveils new cabinet, EU minister switched

Image
AFP Ankara
Last Updated : May 24 2016 | 7:22 PM IST
Turkey's incoming Prime Minister Binali Yildirim today unveiled his new cabinet line-up two days after being given a mandate by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, with most key ministers keeping their jobs but the EU minister switched.
Key names in the former cabinet remained in place, including Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, Justice Minister Bekir Bozdag, and Interior Minister Efkan Ala as well as deputy prime minister in charge of economy Mehmet Simsek, in a relief to markets.
In the biggest change, ruling party spokesman Omer Celik will be new EU affairs minister, replacing Volkan Bozkir, one of the brokers of a controversial deal with the European Union to curb the flow of migrants to Europe.
Fikri Isik also replaces Ismet Yilmaz as defence minister and there was no place in the cabinet for powerful deputy prime minister Yalcin Akdogan.
Erdogan's son-in-law Berat Albayrak keeps his job as energy minister, after suggestions he could have been promoted to an even more senior job.
Yildirim, seen a close ally of Erdogan, was on Sunday elected by the Justice and Development Party (AKP) as its chairman, replacing Ahmet Davutoglu, who stepped down after a power struggle with the president.
Erdogan, who is hosting a two-day UN humanitarian summit in Istanbul, flew to Ankara yesterday for a late-night meeting with the new prime minister, who has vowed to beef up the president's powers through changes to the constitution.
Yildirim made the announcement after a second round of talks with the president at his vast presidential palace in Ankara.
*Subscribe to Business Standard digital and get complimentary access to The New York Times

Smart Quarterly

₹900

3 Months

₹300/Month

SAVE 25%

Smart Essential

₹2,700

1 Year

₹225/Month

SAVE 46%
*Complimentary New York Times access for the 2nd year will be given after 12 months

Super Saver

₹3,900

2 Years

₹162/Month

Subscribe

Renews automatically, cancel anytime

Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans

Exclusive premium stories online

  • Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors

Complimentary Access to The New York Times

  • News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic

Business Standard Epaper

  • Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share

Curated Newsletters

  • Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox

Market Analysis & Investment Insights

  • In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor

Archives

  • Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997

Ad-free Reading

  • Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements

Seamless Access Across All Devices

  • Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app

More From This Section

First Published: May 24 2016 | 7:22 PM IST

Next Story