05-05-2009, 03:38 PM
The Council of Ministers, headed by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, held a meeting yesterday with the participation of newly appointed ministers. Erdoğan announced changes to the Cabinet on Friday in the wake of the March 29 local elections and amidst the ongoing global financial crisis. Eight ministers were removed from Cabinet seats, and nine new faces became ministers.
Seven were shuffled to different posts in the 27-member ministers' club. Among the newcomers, Zafer Çağlayan assumed the post of state minister for foreign trade from the former minister, Kürşad Tüzmen. At the handing-over ceremony, Tüzmen said they had increased the country's exports to $132 billion from $36 billion in 2002. On the other hand, Çağlayan said he would continue to work on the export area as it is key for Turkey's overcoming of the effects of the global financial crisis.
Nihat Ergün was appointed minister of industry and commerce and Sadullah Ergin as minister of justice.
Former Justice Minister Mehmet Ali Şahin's replacement by Ergin is not being attributed to poor performance on his part, but speculation abounds that he will be a candidate for the post of parliament speaker in August.
Another newcomer to the Cabinet, Ömer Dinçer, assumed the post of labor and social security minister from Faruk Çelik. During the ceremony, Çelik said in his 20 months in the post, they had initiated projects that will be important for the next 10 years in the country, in reference to the social security law.
Meanwhile, Turkey's first female minister of education, Nimet Çubukçu, took over her new post from Hüseyin Çelik, who has been minister of education for the last six years. Çelik said he has no reservations about leaving his post. Çubukçu, who served as the minister for women and children's affairs, said her projects at her new post will include increasing the number of girls going to school.
Former justice minister calls for discussion of allegations against him
As former Justice Minister Şahin handed over his duties to newcomer Ergin, he also responded to questions regarding a fraud case against Deniz Feneri e.V., a German-based Turkish charity.
Şahin said he wished he had stayed in his post just a week longer so he could address the issue at Parliament and show that there were no wrongdoings.
Main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) deputies presented a vote of no-confidence to Parliament, alleging wrongdoings in the handling of the case. Şahin called on CHP deputy Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu to take the allegations to Parliament so they could discuss them.
The Deniz Feneri e.V. dossier was forwarded to the Ankara Prosecutor's Office in late February. In September 2008 a German court convicted three Turks of funneling $26 million in charitable contributions raised by Deniz Feneri to conservative companies in Turkey. The Office of the Chief Prosecutor of the Supreme Court of Appeals requested copies of the files of the Deniz Feneri fraud trial in Germany in order to investigate possible links between the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) and the charity organization in November 2008. The investigation is currently being carried out by the İstanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office.
The late arrival of the dossier led to constant confrontation between the AK Party government and the CHP, with the CHP criticizing the government for acting too slowly on the case.
Meanwhile, Ergin said: "Both Deniz Feneri and Ergenekon as well as other cases should proceed as allowed by law. We will stand against any initiatives to move such cases outside this sphere."
Turkey's first female Minister of Education Nimet Çubukçu (L) received her new post from Hüseyin Çelik who has been minister of education for the last six years.
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Seven were shuffled to different posts in the 27-member ministers' club. Among the newcomers, Zafer Çağlayan assumed the post of state minister for foreign trade from the former minister, Kürşad Tüzmen. At the handing-over ceremony, Tüzmen said they had increased the country's exports to $132 billion from $36 billion in 2002. On the other hand, Çağlayan said he would continue to work on the export area as it is key for Turkey's overcoming of the effects of the global financial crisis.
Nihat Ergün was appointed minister of industry and commerce and Sadullah Ergin as minister of justice.
Former Justice Minister Mehmet Ali Şahin's replacement by Ergin is not being attributed to poor performance on his part, but speculation abounds that he will be a candidate for the post of parliament speaker in August.
Another newcomer to the Cabinet, Ömer Dinçer, assumed the post of labor and social security minister from Faruk Çelik. During the ceremony, Çelik said in his 20 months in the post, they had initiated projects that will be important for the next 10 years in the country, in reference to the social security law.
Meanwhile, Turkey's first female minister of education, Nimet Çubukçu, took over her new post from Hüseyin Çelik, who has been minister of education for the last six years. Çelik said he has no reservations about leaving his post. Çubukçu, who served as the minister for women and children's affairs, said her projects at her new post will include increasing the number of girls going to school.
Former justice minister calls for discussion of allegations against him
As former Justice Minister Şahin handed over his duties to newcomer Ergin, he also responded to questions regarding a fraud case against Deniz Feneri e.V., a German-based Turkish charity.
Şahin said he wished he had stayed in his post just a week longer so he could address the issue at Parliament and show that there were no wrongdoings.
Main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) deputies presented a vote of no-confidence to Parliament, alleging wrongdoings in the handling of the case. Şahin called on CHP deputy Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu to take the allegations to Parliament so they could discuss them.
The Deniz Feneri e.V. dossier was forwarded to the Ankara Prosecutor's Office in late February. In September 2008 a German court convicted three Turks of funneling $26 million in charitable contributions raised by Deniz Feneri to conservative companies in Turkey. The Office of the Chief Prosecutor of the Supreme Court of Appeals requested copies of the files of the Deniz Feneri fraud trial in Germany in order to investigate possible links between the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) and the charity organization in November 2008. The investigation is currently being carried out by the İstanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office.
The late arrival of the dossier led to constant confrontation between the AK Party government and the CHP, with the CHP criticizing the government for acting too slowly on the case.
Meanwhile, Ergin said: "Both Deniz Feneri and Ergenekon as well as other cases should proceed as allowed by law. We will stand against any initiatives to move such cases outside this sphere."
Turkey's first female Minister of Education Nimet Çubukçu (L) received her new post from Hüseyin Çelik who has been minister of education for the last six years.
Source:Sitemize üye olmadan linkleri göremezsiniz. Kayıt olmak sadece 30 saniyenizi alacak...
Kayıt Ol! -
Giriş Yap...