Türkiye reshuffles governors, recalls 7 to central posts

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has ordered a broad reshuffle of provincial governors and senior officials, recalling seven governors to central government posts and appointing new governors to 19 provinces.

Among those reassigned to the centre is Hülya Kaya, the governor of Yalova, following last week’s clash with Islamic State militants in the province that left three police officers dead, Caliber.Az reports via Turkish media.

Ahmet Hamdi Usta, previously governor of Bingöl, was appointed to replace her.

Under the decree, Selçuk Arslan (Düzce), Ercan Turan (Iğdır), Mehmet Ali Kumbuzoğlu (Aksaray), Hülya Kaya (Yalova), Hüseyin Aksoy (Eskişehir), Ömer Faruk Çoşkun (Denizli) and Aziz Yıldırım (Trabzon) were appointed as Governor-Inspector Generals, roles based in Ankara.

The reshuffle also included a series of inter-provincial appointments. Mehmet Fatih Çiçekli moved from Karaman to Ardahan, Mustafa Fırat Taşolar from Çankırı to Iğdır, Cahit Çelik from Niğde to Bingöl, Mustafa Koç from Ağrı to Giresun, and Hayrettin Çiçek from Ardahan to Karaman.

Tamer Şahin was appointed governor of Trabzon, Mehmet Makas of Düzce, Erdinç Yılmaz of Eskişehir, Yavuz Selim Köşger of Denizli, and Mustafa Yavuz of Adana.

Several district governors and senior officials were promoted to governorships, including Murat Duru (Çankaya district) to Aksaray and Ömer Kalaylı (Sarıyer district) to Kilis. Hüseyin Engin Sarıibrahim was appointed governor of Kırıkkale and Oktay Çağatay of Karabük, while Nedim Akmeşe, the Interior Ministry’s personnel chief, was named governor of Niğde. Hüseyin Çakırtaş was appointed governor of Çankırı, and Önder Bozkurt, a deputy head of the Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD), governor of Ağrı.

The decree also removed several provincial directors across ministries. In the Ministry of Family and Social Services, Melih Keleş was dismissed as İzmir provincial director, with Abdullah Kömürcüoğlu appointed in his place, and İlkay Türkoğlu moved to Aydın. In the Ministry of Trade, provincial directors in Bartın, Malatya and Trabzon were removed, alongside a series of new appointments nationwide.

By Aghakazim Guliyev