Erdogan May Reshuffle Turkish Cabinet Soon, His Party Says

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan may reshuffle Turkey’s government soon, a deputy chairman of the governing party said Tuesday.

The president “will go to a new arrangement in his team,” Mahir Unal, a deputy chairman of the ruling AK Party told NTV television as he commented on speculation about a new Turkish cabinet. “We will see this in the coming days.”

Erdogan is expected to carry out the first major overhaul of an administration formed in 2018 after he was sworn in with broad executive powers under a modified constitution. The expected cabinet reshuffle comes as the country confronts a series of critical economic and foreign-policy challenges. It was unclear when Erdogan may announce a new cabinet.

Turkey is trying to repair its relationship with the U.S, which has been damaged by a series of disagreements in recent years, especially Erdogan’s decision to buy an air-defense system from NATO foe Russia that the defense bloc sees as a threat.

The Turkish leader is also seeking to shield the economy from further U.S. sanctions over the missile purchase, as well as possible fines for state lender Halkbank as it faces charges of helping Iran evade sanctions at a court in New York.

Bloomberg