ANKARA — Turkey’s president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, replaced two ministers in his cabinet on Monday in a minor cabinet reshuffle after the March 31 local elections in which his ruling party suffered a major setback.
In a decree published in the Official Gazette at midnight, Erdogan announced the replacements of Health Minister Fahrettin Koca and Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change Minister Mehmet Ozhaseki.
For Ozhaseki’s post Erdogan tapped Murat Kurum, who served as the environment, urbanization and climate change minister between 2018 and 2023. He was also the former mayoral candidate for Erdogan’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) in the March 31 local elections. He was defeated by the incumbent mayor Ekrem Imamoglu.
Koca was replaced by Kemal Memisoglu, who has been serving as provincial health chief of Istanbul.
Ozhaseki, who assumed the post in June 2023, announced his resignation earlier Monday, citing health problems. Koca’s resignation, meanwhile, comes as there are increasing criticisms over problems in Turkey's public and private health sectors, including the long wait periods for appointments at public hospitals. Koca has been serving as the country's health chief since 2018 and was at the helm during COVID-19 pandemic.
The move marks the first cabinet-level change since the March 31 local elections in which the AKP lost its nation-wide majority for the first time since its inception in 2002 to the main opposition Republican People’s Party.
Erdogan had pledged to replace some names in his government during the first closed-door party meeting right after the elections.
