Turkey changes justice, defence ministers in cabinet shuffle
ANKARA, Turkey — Turkey’s prime minister announced a cabinet reshuffle on Wednesday, replacing or swapping 11 ministers in the 26-member council of ministers, including the ministers for justice and defence.
The announcement came months after President Recep Tayyip Erdogan regained the leadership of Turkey’s ruling party following a narrow win in a referendum ushering in a series of constitutional changes. Erdogan had complained of a “fatigue” within the ruling party, speaking of a need for rejuvenation.
Binali Yildirim named legislator Abdulhamit Gul as the new justice minister and former deputy prime minister Nurettin Canikli as the defence minister. They replace former minister for justice Bekir Bozdag and for defence Fikri Isik, who were both appointed deputy prime ministers. In all, four out of Turkey’s five deputy prime ministers were replaced.
Bozdag had largely overseen a major government crackdown following last year’s failed military coup that Turkey has blamed on U.S.-based Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen. More than 50,000 people suspected of links to the coup or to Gulen have been arrested.