President Erdoğan appoints controversial top soldier as Turkey’s new defence minister

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan appointed Gen. Hulusi Akar, the Chief of General Staff, who is known as his controversial role in military coup attempt on July 15, 2016, as the new defense minister, as he announced members of his new cabinet after Turkey officially switched to a strong executive presidency.

Erdoğan also appointed his son-in-law Berat Albayrak as the Treasury and Finance Minister in a 16-seat surprise cabinet with not much known bureaucratic figures, hours after he was sworn into office on Monday.

According to a report by Hurriyet Daily News, Erdoğan’s vice president is Fuat Oktay, former undersecretary of the office of the prime minister, who is regarded as one of the architects of the bureaucratic and administrative transformation after the governmental system has been shifted into presidency through last year’s referendum.

Erdoğan opted to continue with current Justice Minister Abdülhamit Gül, Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu and Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu in the new cabinet. These figures, along with Berat Albayrak, who will serve as the Treasury and Finance Minister, will have to resign from the Parliament to join the cabinet.

Erdoğan’s choice as the Trade Minister Ruhsar Pekcan, a businesswoman who has been serving at Turkey’s largest trade chamber as the deputy head for the woman entrepreunership and at Foreign Economic Relations Board (DEİK).

Mustafa Varank, one of closest aides and henchmen of Erdoğan, will serve as the Industry and Development Minister in the new cabinet.

Undersecretary of the Energy Ministry Fatih Dönmez is appointed as the Energy Minister while Cahit Turan, former head of the Directorate of Highways, will serve as the Transportation and Infrastructure Minister.

Ziya Selçuk, who is appointed as Education Minister, has long served at the Education Ministry but he is well-known as the owner of a private college in Turkey.

Erdoğan took his oath in parliament on Monday after being elected as the country’s president in the June 24 elections. After his swearing-in, the system change, stipulated by the constitutional amendment which was approved by last year’s referendum, has gone into full effect.

Following an official inauguration ceremony at the presidential complex in Ankara, Erdoğan announced the list of minister with a press conference. The ministers will take their oats on Tuesday. The full list of Erdoğan’s new cabinet is as follows:

Vice President: Fuat Oktay
Justice Minister- Abdülhamit Gül
Foreign Minister: Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu
Interior Minister: Süleyman Soylu
Defence Minister: Hulusi Akar
Treasury and Finance Minister: Berat Albayrak
Energy and Natural Resources Minister: Fatih Dönmez
Industry and Development Minister: Mustafa Varank
Commerce Minister: Ruhsar Pekcan
Environment and Urban Minister: Murat Kurum
National Education Minister: Ziya Selçuk
Health Minister: Fahrettin Koca
Transport and Infrastructure Minister: Cahit Turan
Culture and Tourism Minister: Mehmet Ersoy
Labor, Social Services and Family Minister: Zehra Zümrüt Selçuk
Agriculture and Forest Minister: Bekir Pakdemirli
Youth and Sports Minister: Mehmet Muharrem Kasapoğlu

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