Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

ANKARA: New Faces, New Names In Erdogan's Cabinet

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • ANKARA: New Faces, New Names In Erdogan's Cabinet

    NEW FACES, NEW NAMES IN ERDOðAN'S CABINET
    Duygu Gven

    Turkish Daily News , Turkey
    July 24 2007

    In the light of the election results, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip
    Erdoðan will make crucial decisions for Turkey, beginning by choosing
    those around him.

    Mehmet Þimþek, Zafer Caðlayan, Edibe Sozen, Ertuðrul Gunay, Dengi Mir
    Fýrat and Zafer Uskul are expected to take seats in the new cabinet
    of the AKP, while Bulent Arýnc, Hilmi Guler and Mehmet Aydýn might
    lose their seats.

    Erdoðan had previously announced that Abdullah Gul was his favored
    candidate for the next presidency, but the prime minister is now
    leaving the door open for other alternatives as well. In fact, he
    opted not to respond to related chants by party supporters while he
    was making his victory speech after the elections on Sunday night.

    "There is still a possibility for Ertuðrul Gunay or Vecdi Gonul.

    Erdoðan will search a consensus with the MHP this time, and the
    MHP would prefer Gul to others," said a leading party member to the
    Turkish Daily News yesterday.

    Erdoðan is expected to insist on electing the next president from the
    Parliament. Although the CHP is positive, the AKP members prefer not
    to mention Abdullatif Þener's name for the presidential seat.

    Arýnc will lose his seat Parliament Speaker Bulent Arýnc is expected to
    lose his seat in the new Parliament since he is blamed by AKP members
    for tightening relations with the military and with secular groups.

    In a parliament where Turkish nationalists will sit next to Kurdish
    nationalists, Erdoðan is expected to avoid increasing tension in any
    way. Murat Baþeskioðlu, Vecdi Gonul, and Ertuðrul Gunay are among
    the names mentioned as Arýnc's replacements.

    Sharp change in the new cabinet

    Erdoðan is expected to preserve three deputy prime ministers in the
    new cabinet. Among the names for deputy prime minister, Mehmet Ali
    Þahin is expected to preserve his seat, while the formerly leftist,
    newly rightist Ertuðrul Gunay might replace Abdullatif Þener as deputy
    prime minister.

    Former Justice Minister Cemil Cicek might take a deputy prime minister
    seat in the 60th cabinet. Minister of Transportation Binali Yýldýrým
    is seen as successful by Erdoðan and is expected to be rewarded,
    while Energy Minister Hilmi Guler is thought to lose his seat in the
    new cabinet. Taner Yýldýz and Veysel Eroðlu are among the candidates
    for his post. Since Ali Coþkun, minister of industry, is out of the
    Parliament now; Zafer Caðlayan, formerly with the Ankara Chamber of
    Industry, is expected to take Coþkun's seat. State Minister Mehmet
    Aydýn is expected to leave the cabinet because he dreams to write a
    book as an academician, and the word is that Beþir Atalay might replace
    him. Atalay's name has been mentioned for the Ministry of Education,
    as has the former DYP, newly AKP member, Mehmet Saðlam. Saðlam was
    president of the High Education Board (YOK) and was the Education
    Minister in the coalition government.

    Two women in the cabinet

    While Nimet Cubukcu, minister responsible for women and family issues,
    is expected to continue her task, and a second woman minister is
    likely. Edibe Sozen is expected to replace Beþir Atalay in the
    cabinet shift, possibly taking the responsibility of culture and
    tourism.Constitutional Professor Zafer Uskul might replace Cemil Cicek
    as a new face of the AKP. If Abdullah Gul is elected as president,
    Ali Babacan would replace him as the next foreign minister. Mehmet
    Þimþek, a well-known economist, is expected to take a seat if
    Babacan has a new post. Þimþek is seen as a shining star of the new
    AKP. State Minister Kurþat Tuzmen and Finance Minister Kemal Unakýtan
    are expected to keep their seats despite the claims of opposition
    groups. If Vecdi Gonul holds the presidential seat or becomes the
    next Speaker of Parliament, Vahit Erdem or Egemen Baðýþ might take
    his seat. Interior Minister Abdulkadir Aksu was blamed especially
    after the assassination of Armenian-Turkish journalist Hrant Dink,
    and he was expected to leave the cabinet. However, since his former
    leader Mesut Yýlmaz is in the Parliament, Erdoðan might his seat,
    said the AKP members. Murat Baþeskioðlu, minister of labor and social
    security might have a new seat as interior minister if he is not made
    deputy prime minister or Speaker of Parliament. Mehdi Eker who was
    responsible for agriculture might be replaced with Dengi Mir Fýrat,
    deputy leader of the AKP. The minister of public works and settlements,
    minister of health, and minister of environment and forestry might lose
    their seats if Erdoðan opts for a sharp change in the cabinet. Faruk
    Celik and Salih Kapusuz the deputy leaders are eager to have a minister
    seat in the second term of the AKP.

    --Boundary_(ID_4FGyvTmf1B/U0rsENyC6pA)--
Working...
X