Turkey’s Erdogan unveils new cabinet after inauguration

Hours after being sworn in for a third term as president, Turkey’s Recep Tayyip Erdogan presented a new cabinet on Saturday, June 3. He named a strong spy chief as foreign minister and market-friendly Mehmet Simsek as finance minister.

Erdogan unveils new cabinet after the inauguration: Erdogan swore under oath to serve “impartially” in parliament after winning a historic runoff election to continue his two-decade dominance.

As he addressed at a grand event attended by hundreds of world leaders at his presidential palace in the country’s capital Ankara, he also urged unity and the putting aside of the anger and bitterness of the campaign.

Despite an economic crisis and unrest over the response to a February earthquake that claimed more than 50,000 lives, Turkey’s transformational but divisive leader won the May 28 runoff against a strong opposition coalition. According to official figures, Kemal Kilicdaroglu, Erdogan’s secular opponent, received 47.82% of the vote against Erdogan’s 52.18%.

Erdogan addressed lawmakers in parliament after a ceremony outside the building where he saluted soldiers in the pouring rain. “As president, I swear upon my honor and integrity, before the great Turkish nation… to work with all my power to protect the existence and independence of the state… and to fulfill my duty impartially,” he said.

Erdogan’s backers in parliament gave him a minute-long standing ovation after his oath of office, but some opposition MPs remained seated. Erdogan also vowed in his oath not to stray from the secular republic established by Mustafa Kemal Ataturk 100 years ago, based on the rule of law.

Since taking office in 2003, Turkey’s longest-serving leader has endured widespread protests, a corruption scandal, and a failed coup attempt. Now in his third term, he has huge immediate concerns, such as the declining economy and tensions with the West.

Cabinet Renovation

Except for his ministries of health and culture, Erdogan changed nearly every cabinet member. For example, he appointed Mehmet Simsek, a dependable individual with considerable international standing, as the minister of the Treasury and the Ministry of Finance.

Erdogan’s top priority will be addressing the nation’s economic problems since the inflation rate is 43.7%, partly because of his unconventional strategy of lowering interest rates to spur growth.

Many recognize Simsek, a former economist for Merrill Lynch, for his opposition to Erdogan’s unconventional approaches. Between 2009 to 2015, he was the finance minister. From 2016 to 2018, he was the deputy prime minister in charge of the economy. That year, he resigned in advance of many lira crashes.

Addition to your selections

Erdogan chose Hakan Fidan, the head of the National Intelligence Organisation (MIT), for the position of foreign minister. Since 2010, Fidan has been MIT’s president; Erdogan once referred to the 55-year-old as his “secret keeper.”

“Let’s settle this,”

During a ceremony at his palace earlier in the day, Erdogan committed to embracing all facets of society while standing next to his wife, Emine. He declared, “We will embrace all 85 million people, regardless of their political views, origins, creeds, or sects,” hoping his adversaries would also heed his invitation. “Turkey needs unity and solidarity more than ever,” he declared.

Under Erdogan’s leadership, the polarisation of society has gotten worse. His fans refer to him as “Reis” (the chief). “We want all opposition segments, including journalists, writers, civil society, artists, and politicians, to reconcile with the national will,” he stated. “Find a way to make peace if there is resentment and broken hearts.”

Among the international attendees at the ceremony were Presidents Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan, Nicolas Maduro of Venezuela, Mohammad Mokhber of Iran, Viktor Orban of Hungary’s right-wing government, and Vyacheslav Volodin, speaker of the lower house of the Russian parliament. Armenia’s Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan was also present, the latest indication of a thaw between the two historic adversaries.

Before a summit in July, NATO partners are eagerly awaiting Ankara’s approval of Sweden’s application to join the US-led defensive alliance.

Erdogan has put off processing the application because he claims Stockholm is harboring “terrorists” from the PKK, a criminal organization that Ankara and its Western allies have designated as a terrorist organization.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and former Swedish Prime Minister Carl Bildt, present at the ceremony in Erdogan’s palace, are expected to persuade him to remove his opposition to Stockholm’s proposal.