Turkish President Erdogan has presented his new cabinet. The economist Simsek is to get inflation under control as the new finance minister. The previous secret service chief Fidan replaces Cavusoglu as foreign minister.
After being sworn in as President of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan reshuffled most of his cabinet. Erdogan appointed the economist Mehmet Simsek, who is respected in the financial markets, as finance minister.
Erdogan’s longtime confidante, secret service chief Hakan Fidan, will become the new foreign minister. Mevlut Cavusoglu, who has been Turkey’s foreign minister for almost a decade, is no longer part of the new cabinet.
massive inflation
Turkey is currently struggling with massive inflation of officially around 44 percent. Experts also blame Erdogan’s policy, which has so far held on to low interest rates, contrary to economic logic, in order to combat inflation.
Simsek, on the other hand, is considered a representative of an orthodox financial and economic policy – it is expected that he will give up the controversial low-interest policy. Simsek was previously finance minister under Erdogan, but was dismissed in 2018 after the transition to the presidential system.
Erdogan also appointed chief of staff Yasar Güler as defense minister, the new interior minister is former Istanbul governor Ali Yerlikaya, and energy minister Alparslan Bayraktar. The only woman in the cabinet is the new family minister, Mahinur Özdemir Göktas.
Another five-year term
Erdogan was sworn in for another five-year term on Saturday. He will adhere to the values of the secular republic and protect human rights, it said in the oath that the 69-year-old took in the capital Ankara.
Erdogan received applause from his AKP party and its partners, members of the opposition parties flouted the rules and did not stand up in protest. The ceremony ended with a 101 gun salute.
Erdogan was confirmed as president in a runoff election last Sunday with a good 52 percent of the vote. By May 14, his party and its partners had already won a majority in parliament.
Erdogan has been in charge of the country’s fortunes for 20 years: initially as prime minister from 2003 and as president from 2014. Erdogan has ruled in an increasingly authoritarian manner over the years, and critics accuse him of suppressing the opposition. The recent election was considered unfair because of the AKP’s and Erdogan’s control over state resources and the country’s media.
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