Turkish Prime Minister announces cabinet reshuffle

Turkish Prime Minister announced a limited cabinet reshuffle, keeping the government's economic management team largely in place and replacing most of the deputy premiers
Turkish PM Binali Yıldırım.
Wednesday, 19 July 2017 18:53

Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım announced on July 19 a cabinet reshuffle in the country, with defence and justice ministers becoming vice prime ministers and five new ministers being appointed.

Yıldırım made the announcement following a surprise meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Yıldırım said that 15 ministers remained in their posts with five new ministers joining the cabinet and six of its members reshuffled.

"Defence Minister Fikri Işık and Justice Minister Bekir Bozdağ are appointed vice prime ministers," Yıldırım told a press conference.

The prime minister told journalists that the positions of the vice prime ministers were also occupied by Mehmet Şimsek, Hakan Çavuşoğlu and Recep Akdağ.

According to Yıldırım, former deputy prime minister Nurettin Canikli has been appointed the new defence minister. Abdülhamit Gül, the General Secretary of the ruling Justice and Development Party, has occupied the post of the justice minister.

Mevlüt Çavusoğlu kept his job as the foreign minister and Berat Albayrak, Erdogan's son-in-law, remained as energy minister. Numan Kurtulmuş, who had been a deputy prime minister and government spokesman, was appointed tourism minister.

The key ministries for the economy, finance, foreign affairs, the interior and European Union affairs remained unchanged. Erdoğan appointed Julide Sarıeroğlu as the minister for labour and social security, raising the number of women in the Council of Ministers to two.

Along with Deputy Prime Minister Hakan Çavuşoğlu, Justice Minister Abdülhamit Gül, Labor Minister Jülide Sarıeroğlu, Youth and Sports Minister Osman Aşkın Bak, Food and Agriculture Minister Eşref Fakıbaba and Health Minister Ahmet Demircan are new names in the government.

Former Labor Minister Mehmet Müezzinoğlu, Youth and Sports Minister Akif Çağatay Kılıç, Food and Agriculture Minister Faruk Çelik, Culture and Tourism Minister Nabi Avcı have left their positions to their successors through the reshuffle.

Tuğrul Türkeş, Veysi Kaynak, Mehmet Müezzinoglu, Çağatay Kılıç, Faruk Çelik and Nabi Avcı lost their ministerial posts.

Deputy prime ministers

Bekir Bozdağ (former justice minister)

Mehmet Şimşek

Fikri Işık (former defence minister)

Recep Akdağ (former health minister)

Hakan Çavuşoğlu

Other ministers

Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu

Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu

Justice Minister Abdulhamit Gül

Economy Minister Nihat Zeybekçi

Finance Minister Naci Ağbal

Health Minister Ahmet Demircan

National Defense Minister Nurettin Canikli (former deputy PM)

European Union Minister Ömer Çelik

Energy and Natural Resources Minister Berat Albayrak

Family and Social Policies Minister Fatma Betül Sayan Kaya

Science, Industry and Technology Minister Faruk Özlü

Labor and Social Security Minister Julide Sarıeroğlu

Environment and Urban Planning Minister Mehmet Özhaseki

Youth and Sports Minister Osman Aşkın Bak

Food, Agriculture and Livestock Minister Ahmet Eşref Fakıbaba

Customs and Trade Minister Bülent Tüfenkçi

Development Minister Lütfi Elvan

Culture and Tourism Minister Numan Kurtulmuş (former deputy PM)

National Education Minister İsmet Yılmaz

Forestry and Water Affairs Minister Veysel Eroğlu

Transport, Maritime and Communication Minister Ahmet Arslan