Cabinet reshuffle likely after ballot
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ANKARA - Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is likely to reshuffle his Cabinet after the local elections. He is expected to replace at least 13 ministers. While a move to divide the Culture and Tourism Ministry into two separate ministries also seems to be in the works
The prime minister is likely to reshuffle the Cabinet following the local elections to make a fresh start and take on a new perspective as Turkey looks at European Union reforms.
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan could possibly remove 13 ministers who have been serving in their offices since 2002, the year the Justice and Development Party, or AKP, came to power.
AKP deputies also expect Erdoğan to replace the parliamentary group deputy leaders and committee leaders in the new term. Parliament Speaker Köksal Toptan has completed two years in the post and regulations require a vote for the second term. Whether Erdoğan will re-nominate Toptan as a candidate is not certain.
The 13 ministers who have not been replaced since 2002 are Deputy Prime Minister Cemil Çiçek, State Ministers Murat Başesgioğlu, Mehmet Aydın and Kürşad Tüzmen, Justice Minister Mehmet Ali Şahin, National Defense Minister Vecdi Gönül, Interior Minister Beşir Atalay, Foreign Minister Ali Babacan, Finance Minister Kemal Unakıtan, Health Minister Recep Akdağ, Transportation Minister Binali Yıldırım, Energy Minister Hilmi Güler, and Education Minister Hüseyin Çelik.
Having held his position since 2002, Energy Minister Hilmi Güler may be replaced in a Cabinet reshuffle and AKP’s Siirt deputy Afif Demirkıran or Kayseri deputy Taner Yıldız may be appointed instead.
Yıldız is not only Erdoğan’s adviser but also the one who establishes communication between the presidential palace and the government. He is known for his close ties to President Abdullah Gül.
Finance Minister Kemal Unakıtan may also leave his office in the new term. But Erdoğan will leave the decision to Unakıtan, sources said. If Unakıtan resigns, AKP’s Bülent Gedikli or Nurettin Canikli may become the new finance minister.
Akdağ, Özak and Tüzmen’s seats at stake
Recep Akdağ, who has been serving as health minister for seven years, may be reappointed to the Labor and Social Security Ministry on grounds that the "reform on social security and general health insurance" has transferred all the work of the Health Ministry to the Labor Ministry.
AKP deputy and former undersecretary for the Ministry of Health, Necdet Ünüvar, or president of the Health Commission, Cevdet Erdöl, could be appointed Health Minister in the case of Akdağ’s shift. Rumors said Erdoğan may also leave Akdağ out of the Cabinet.
Public Works Minister Nafız Özak is another minister who may lose his seat in the Cabinet. If so, AKP’s Kayseri deputy Mustafa Elitaş could be appointed to Özak’s post.
State Minister Kürşat Tüzmen, who was at odds with the government over the trade crisis with Russia but later posed sincerely in front of cameras with Erdoğan, may also be removed from his post. Murat Başesgioğlu, state minister responsible for sports, is also among the figures who may be replaced. Meanwhile, Deputy Prime Minister Çiçek, Hayati Yazıcı, Nazım Ekren, Interior Minister Atalay, Agriculture Minister Mehdi Eker, Transportation Minister Yıldırım, Education Minister Çelik, State Ministers Said Yazıcıoğlu, Mehmet Aydın, Mehmet Şimşek and Egemen Bağış, and the Cabinet’s only female member, State Minister Nimet Çubukçu are expected to remain in their offices.
In addition to a possible reshuffle, new ministries are also underway. Within this framework, the Culture and Tourism Ministry will be converted into two separate ministries, the Culture Ministry and the Tourism Ministry. The separation will pave the way for AKP’s Alevi deputy Reha Çamuroğlu to be appointed as Culture Minister while current Culture and Tourism Minister Ertuğrul Günay is expected to maintain his post only as Tourism Minister. The Environment and Forest Ministry may split as well. In such a case, Veysel Eroğlu would remain in his office as Environment Minister while parliamentary group deputy leader Nihat Ergün would be appointed as Forest Minister. A Local Administration Ministry will also be established. AKP’s deputy leader for local administrations, Hüseyin Tanrıverdi, is expected to be appointed local administration minister.