Turkish PM changes 11 ministers in Cabinet reshuffle

Ankara July 19 (IANS) Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim reshuffled his Cabinet on Wednesday replacing 11 ministers in the 27-member government Cabinet.

The announcement was made following an unscheduled meeting with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan Xinhua news agency reported. Ministers of Interior Economy and Foreign Affairs as well as deputy Prime Minister for Economy were among the 15 ministers who kept their positions.

In the new Cabinet list Bekir Bozdag Mehmet Simsek Fikri Isik Recep Akdag and Hakan Cavusoglu were named as deputy Prime Ministers. Among them four were newly appointed.

A Cabinet reshuffle had been widely expected since May when Erdogan resumed his leadership of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) following the April 16 constitutional referendum granting him sweeping new powers.

Erdogan led the AKP for 13 years starting in 2001. He had to step aside as the party chief when he became President in August 2014 because of a legal requirement for Presidents to be politically neutral.

--IANS
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