Latest ministers take over Cabinet portfolios
Güncelleme Tarihi:
Hürriyet Daily News
Oluşturulma Tarihi: Mayıs 05, 2009 00:00
ANKARA - Speaking at the handover ceremony, new Justice Minister Sadullah Ergin says the ministry will not let the Ergenekon probe and the Lighthouse eV case redirect the government from its original line. Ten ministers have kept their seats in the new Cabinet announced Friday and nine new names have joined it, while eight lost their seats
Turkey’s newly appointed ministers officially took office yesterday in a handover ceremony after Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s Cabinet reshuffle.
Ten ministers have kept their seats and nine new names have joined the Cabinet, while eight lost their seats in the new Cabinet as a result of the reshuffle. The new foreign minister, Ahmet Davutoğlu, meanwhile, was appointed minister from outside.
Taking over the post from his predecessor Mehmet Ali Şahin in a handover ceremony yesterday, new Justice Minister Sadullah Ergin responded to questions from press members about the Lighthouse e.V. case and the ongoing Ergenekon investigation.
"There are two different dossiers in the Lighthouse e.V. case, and the two are being confused. There is the judicial assistance information sent by Germany to the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor's Office and the judicial assistance demand made by the German judicial authorities from the Turkish government. The two are being mixed," Ergin said.
"There is no delay on the issue caused by the Turkish Justice Ministry. A careful and transparent process has been followed here. The length of the duration passed in the German authorities was greater, which led to a misconception that the delay was caused by the Turkish Justice Ministry."
Noting that the ministry had no judicial mission but an administrative duty, he said they wouldn’t let the Ergenekon probe and the Lighthouse e.V. case deviate from their original lines to other directions. There were penal sanctions for those who go beyond the limits of their authority and try to direct the judiciary.
"All sides, including politicians, nongovernmental organizations and judicial institutions, should try to make sure that the cases progress in line with their original lines," Ergin said.
In response to Constitutional Court Vice President Osman Paksüt's allegations that he has been wiretapped, Ergin said any possible application to be made to the Justice Ministry on the issue will be evaluated.
Meanwhile, Şahin refuted allegations that the ministry delayed the process with regard to the Lighthouse e.V. case during his tenure, describing the claims as political.
He also called on Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu of the Republican People’s Party, or CHP, to submit a parliamentary motion for investigation into their allegations that he directed the Lighthouse e.V. case. Turkey’s first female education minister, Nimet Çubukçu, also took over office yesterday from Hüseyin Çelik, who had filled the post for six years.
Çelik said the ministry initiated important projects during his term and that the road map for future projects has also been given to the coming minister. Çubukçu, meanwhile, said she felt honored to be appointed as the new education minister.
State Minister Kürşat Tüzmen handed over the post to Zafer Çağlayan, who served as the industry and trade minister in the former Cabinet. Tüzmen said they raised Turkey’s export from $36 billion in 2002 to $132 billion in 2009 during his tenure, adding that the foreign trade initiatives shaped Turkey’s foreign policy in this period.
Export issue
Çağlayan said they would work hard on the export issue, which he deemed a key to overcome the negative effects of the global financial crisis. Ömer Dinçer, who was appointed labor minister, also handed over office from Faruk Çelik yesterday.
Meanwhile, the new Cabinet convened yesterday to hold its first meeting. Government spokesman Cemil Çiçek, speaking after the meeting, said the tasks distribution for the state ministries were determined during the meeting. He also said the new arrangements regarding border trade, details of the establishment of a new undersecretariat within the Interior Ministry to combat terror and planned constitutional amendments were discussed in the meeting.
Ten ministers have kept their seats and nine new names have joined the Cabinet, while eight lost their seats in the new Cabinet as a result of the reshuffle. The new foreign minister, Ahmet Davutoğlu, meanwhile, was appointed minister from outside.
Taking over the post from his predecessor Mehmet Ali Şahin in a handover ceremony yesterday, new Justice Minister Sadullah Ergin responded to questions from press members about the Lighthouse e.V. case and the ongoing Ergenekon investigation.
"There are two different dossiers in the Lighthouse e.V. case, and the two are being confused. There is the judicial assistance information sent by Germany to the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor's Office and the judicial assistance demand made by the German judicial authorities from the Turkish government. The two are being mixed," Ergin said.
"There is no delay on the issue caused by the Turkish Justice Ministry. A careful and transparent process has been followed here. The length of the duration passed in the German authorities was greater, which led to a misconception that the delay was caused by the Turkish Justice Ministry."
Noting that the ministry had no judicial mission but an administrative duty, he said they wouldn’t let the Ergenekon probe and the Lighthouse e.V. case deviate from their original lines to other directions. There were penal sanctions for those who go beyond the limits of their authority and try to direct the judiciary.
"All sides, including politicians, nongovernmental organizations and judicial institutions, should try to make sure that the cases progress in line with their original lines," Ergin said.
In response to Constitutional Court Vice President Osman Paksüt's allegations that he has been wiretapped, Ergin said any possible application to be made to the Justice Ministry on the issue will be evaluated.
Meanwhile, Şahin refuted allegations that the ministry delayed the process with regard to the Lighthouse e.V. case during his tenure, describing the claims as political.
He also called on Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu of the Republican People’s Party, or CHP, to submit a parliamentary motion for investigation into their allegations that he directed the Lighthouse e.V. case. Turkey’s first female education minister, Nimet Çubukçu, also took over office yesterday from Hüseyin Çelik, who had filled the post for six years.
Çelik said the ministry initiated important projects during his term and that the road map for future projects has also been given to the coming minister. Çubukçu, meanwhile, said she felt honored to be appointed as the new education minister.
State Minister Kürşat Tüzmen handed over the post to Zafer Çağlayan, who served as the industry and trade minister in the former Cabinet. Tüzmen said they raised Turkey’s export from $36 billion in 2002 to $132 billion in 2009 during his tenure, adding that the foreign trade initiatives shaped Turkey’s foreign policy in this period.
Export issue
Çağlayan said they would work hard on the export issue, which he deemed a key to overcome the negative effects of the global financial crisis. Ömer Dinçer, who was appointed labor minister, also handed over office from Faruk Çelik yesterday.
Meanwhile, the new Cabinet convened yesterday to hold its first meeting. Government spokesman Cemil Çiçek, speaking after the meeting, said the tasks distribution for the state ministries were determined during the meeting. He also said the new arrangements regarding border trade, details of the establishment of a new undersecretariat within the Interior Ministry to combat terror and planned constitutional amendments were discussed in the meeting.