Tag: Council of Ministers

  • Big Builders to Lead Turkish Environmental Ministries

    Big Builders to Lead Turkish Environmental Ministries

    by Jennifer Hattam, Istanbul, Turkey on 07. 8.11

    The Turkish Parliament. Photo: TBMM.
    The Turkish Parliament. Photo: TBMM.

    Are the foxes watching the hen house in Turkey? That seems to be the feeling among many environmentalists and urban planners, who greeted with skepticism the announcement Wednesday of the new Turkish government cabinet following elections in mid-June. The figures selected to head up top-level forestry and environment ministries are veterans of state agencies much-criticized for their aggressive dam-building and development policies.

    ‘My Job Is To Build Dams’

    As head of the Environment and Forestry Ministry, Veysel Eroğlu drew the ire of environmentalists for his staunch defense of dam projects that would drown ancient cities and displace thousands of people. “My job is to build dams,” Eroğlu said last fall, adding that pop star Tarkan, an opponent of the Ilısu dam planned for Southeast Anatolia, “should watch his own business.”

    In the reconfigured cabinet, Eroğlu has been tapped to lead the newly created Forestry and Waterworks Ministry — an apt position for the former head of the State Waterworks Authority, or DSİ, which is responsible for building dams in the country, but one that seems to leave little room for protecting forests rather than exploiting them.

    Also newly created is the Environment and Urban Planning Ministry, headed up by Erdoğan Bayraktar, the former chief of the country’s Housing Development Administration, or TOKİ.

    Impacts Of Urbanization

    The combining of those two areas in one ministry riled Tayfun Kahraman, the president of the Chamber of Istanbul Urban Planners, who told the local paper Hürriyet Daily News: “It will be exceedingly difficult to administer a ministry that contains two opposing concepts as urban planning and the environment… It could result in negative consequences.”

    An argument could certainly be made that integrating the two fields is a positive step that could lead to more careful consideration of how urbanization — rampant in many parts of Turkey — impacts the natural environment. Under Bayraktar, though, TOKİ has drawn fire for its handling of poor residents displaced by gentrification, as well as for engaging in mass building projects that lack attention to infrastructure and livability needs — criticisms that the new minister has at least acknowledged. Whether Bayraktar will actually allow social and environmental issues to slow to Turkey’s rush to build remains to be seen.

    via Big Builders to Lead Turkish Environmental Ministries : TreeHugger.

  • Erdogan intensifies Turkish effort to join EU

    Erdogan intensifies Turkish effort to join EU

    Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan reshuffled his cabinet yesterday, retaining Finance Minister Mehmet Simsek to manage the overheating economy and creating a new ministry to press Turkey’s campaign to join the EU.

    Under Mr Erdogan, whose AK Party won an unprecedented third term in office in elections last month, Turkey has been transformed into one of the world’s fastest-growing economies, but there are calls for his government to tighten fiscal and monetary policy.

    Egemen Bagis, Turkey’s chief negotiator for EU membership, was appointed head of the newly created European Union ministry.

    Mr Erdogan has also said he wants to work with the opposition to write a new constitution. There is speculation that he wants to move Turkey towards a more presidential system of government, with the ultimate aim of becoming president himself.

    via Erdogan intensifies Turkish effort to join EU – Europe, World – The Independent.

  • Turkey’s parliament elects new speaker

    Turkey’s parliament elects new speaker

    Turkey’s parliament elects new speaker

    Turkey’s parliament has elected the ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party lawmaker Cemil Cicek as its new speaker following three rounds of voting against other candidates.

    Cicek, a deputy in Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s former government, received 322 ballots out of the total 376 votes cast in the third round on Monday, Anatolia news agency reported.

    AK parliamentarian Zelkif Kazdal and Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) candidate Tunca Toskay were the other two contenders running for the post.

    Lawmakers from the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) and pro-Kurdish Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) did not participate in the vote as the two parties had boycotted the parliament.

    According to the Turkish Constitution, one has to obtain two-thirds of the votes recorded by lawmakers in the first two rounds of voting to be elected as the country’s parliament speaker.

    In his first interview as the new Turkish parliament speaker, Cicek told Today’s Zaman that “The biggest job for the new Parliament is to make a new Constitution. We have a great opportunity to ensure that Turkey has a modern Constitution.”

    “It is a shame that Turkey is being governed by a Constitution that reflects the spirit of the 1980 military coup in this age,” he added.

    “We have one of those rare Constitutions that attract bitter criticism but are still in effect. It is now time to stop imitating others and be ourselves,” Cicek concluded.

    (Source: Press TV)

  • Omer Dincer appointed as Turkey’s new National Education Minister

    Omer Dincer appointed as Turkey’s new National Education Minister

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    Dincer graduated from the Ataturk University with a degree in Business Administration and he later completed a doctoral program in Business Administration at the Istanbul University.

    A Justice and Development (AK) Party lawmaker from the north-western province of Istanbul, Omer Dincer, has been appointed as Turkey’s new National Education Minister.

    Dincer was born on September 10, 1965 in southern province of Karaman.

    Dincer graduated from the Ataturk University with a degree in Business Administration. He later completed a doctoral program in Business Administration at the Istanbul University.

    Dincer served as Turkey’s Labor and Social Security Minister in the previous government.

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  • Idris Naim Sahin appointed as Turkey’s new Interior Minister

    Idris Naim Sahin appointed as Turkey’s new Interior Minister

    He graduated from the Faculty of Law of Istanbul University. He holds a master’s degree on public administration.

    idris naim sahinIdris Naim Sahin, a lawmaker from northern Ordu province, has been appointed as the Interior Minister in the 61st government of Turkey.

    Sahin was born in Ordu in 1956. He is a co-founder, a board member and Secretary-General of the Justice and Development (AK) Party.

    He graduated from the Faculty of Law of Istanbul University. He holds a master’s degree on public administration.

    For several years, Sahin worked as district governor in several provinces across Turkey. He was a deputy secretary-general and adviser to Mayor at Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality.

    In 2002 and 2007 elections, he was elected a member of the Turkish Parliament. He speaks English and is married with six children.

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  • Hayati Yazici named as Turkey’s Customs, Trade Minister

    Hayati Yazici named as Turkey’s Customs, Trade Minister

    He graduated from Law School of Istanbul University and worked as judge in several towns in Turkey.

    hayati yazici1

    Hayati Yazici, a member of parliament from northern Rize province, has been appointed as head of the newly created Customs & Trade Ministry.

    Hayati Yazici was born in Rize in 1952. He graduated from Law School of Istanbul University and worked as judge in several towns in Turkey. In 1984, he quit as judge and worked as attorney in Istanbul.

    He is a founding member of Justice & development (AK) Party.

    In 2002 and 2007 elections, he was elected lawmaker. He served as State Minister and Deputy Prime Minister in 60th government. After a cabinet shuffle, he was named as State Minister in the same government.

    Yazici is married with 2 children.

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