TURKEY: Turkish president approves pro-EU, reform cabinet

Turkey's new president Abdullah Gul approved the new cabinet list, presented him by the Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan. Ali Babacan who was the chief EU negotiator fills the foreign ministry seat emptied by Gul in the cabinet. New Turkish President Abdullah Gul on Wednesday (August 29) approved a pro-EU reformist cabinet which reflected Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan's aim to push ahead with stalled political and economic reforms needed to join the bloc. Gul, who as foreign minister helped Turkey win EU accession talks status in 2005, is the first politician with a background in political Islam to become president in mainly Muslim but constitutionally secular Turkey, over the army's opposition. After meeting Gul at the presidential palace, Erdogan named Ali Babacan as Gul's successor as foreign minister. Babacan will remain in his role as chief negotiator in the membership talks. Kemal Unakitan remains in the key post of finance minister, while former banker Nazim Ekren was named minister in charge of coordinating economic issues, an important position as the government pushes for further economic reforms. "I prepared the new cabinet as a team who have the skills to realise our goals for the coming period," Erdogan told reporters. The ruling AK Party won a sweeping victory in parliamentary polls in July but was unable to form a new government because of objections by Gul's secularist predecessor Ahmet Necdet Sezer.

ITN Source | August 30, 2007

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