ANKARA, June 4, 2023 (BSS /TASS) - Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has reshuffled almost the entire government, including the heads of key departments.

Hakan Fidan, who has headed Turkey's National Intelligence Organization (MIT) since May 2010, has become the head of the Foreign Ministry. The National Defense Ministry will now be headed by General Yasar Guler, who was Chief of the General Staff. Istanbul Governor Ali Yerlikaya, who has been governor of Istanbul province since 2018 and previously headed Gaziantep province, will head the Interior Ministry. Mehmet Simsek was invited to deal with the difficult situation in the country's economy as Finance Minister. He had already held the post in 2009-2015. Alparslan Bayraktar, a former deputy energy minister, will head the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources.

As promised earlier, Erdogan did not increase the number of vice presidents, saying "one deputy is enough," but replaced Fuat Oktay. The new vice president will be Cevdet Yilmaz, a former member of the government. Two of the 17 ministers - Health Minister Fahrettin Koca and Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy - remained in their positions.

Other ministers

Yilmaz Tunc, 51, will head Turkey's Justice Ministry. Osman Ashkin Bak will head the Ministry of Youth and Sports. Omer Bolat was appointed Minister of Trade. Abdulkadir Uraloglu will lead the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure.

The Turkish Ministry of Environment, Urbanisation and Climate Change will be headed by Mehmet Ozhaseki. The new Minister for Family and Social Services will be Mahinur Ozdemir Goktas. The Ministry of Labor and Social Security will be headed by Vedat Isikhan. Yusuf Tekin, who has been serving as Deputy Minister, will be promoted to become the new Minister of National Education in Turkey. Mehmet Fatih Kacir has been appointed to head the Ministry of Industry and Technology. The Minister of Agriculture and Forestry will be Ibrahim Yumakli.