AFP PHOTO / ADEM ALTAN
Erdogan replaces four ministers
On Friday the Turkish Prime-Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan implemented the long-awaited reforms in his cabinet by removing four key ministers – the Minister of Home Affairs, the Minister of Healthcare, the Minister of Education and the Minister of Culture and Tourism. The ex vawi (regional governor) of Istanbul Muammer Guler is the new Minister of Home affairs, who will succeed Idris Naim Sahinthe, famous with his immoderate speeches.
The unsuccessful educational reform and the students’ protests in the country cost the head of one more minister – the Minister of Education. Omer Dincer was replaced by the former counselor and personal PR of Erdogan – Nabi Avci – who is supposedly one of the closest and most trusted people of the Turkish Prime-Minister during the last two decades. Avci is Professor of Communications and Public Relations. On the last parliamentary elections he was chosen to be deputy from the list in the city of Eskişehir.
The purge did not pass also the Minister of Healthcare, Recep Akdag, who was the person with the longest service in the Erdogans governments. He implemented some of the most important healthcare reforms in the country, including the introduction of the ban on smoking. Among the controversial aspects of his work were the law against abortions and his inability to ensure care for people with disabilities.
The name of the new healthcare minister is Mehmet Muezzinoglu who is a child of an exiled family from the Muslim community in Greek Thrace. By profession he is a doctor and has a long service in the regional organization of the Party of Justice and development (PJD) in Istanbul.
The Minister of Culture and Tourism Ertugrul Gunay was also removed from office which he was exercising for two consecutive terms. He was replaced by Omer Celik, member of the Executive bureau of PJD and deputy-chairman of the party in the field “Foreign Policy”. Celik is also being pointed as one of the closest political counselors of the Prime-Minister Recep Erdogan.
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