Turkey’s Interior Minister Efkan Ala has resigned, Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım said on August 31, following an unscheduled meeting with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
Ala will be replaced by Labour Minister Suleyman Soylu. Ala has been one of closest allies of Erdogan and the reasons behind his unexpected resignation remain unknown.
Ala’s three-year tenure was marred by a wave of terrorist attacks carried out by the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and Islamic State. Hurriyet newspaper suggests that Erdogan demanded the minister’s resignation because he was not happy with Ala’s performance in the wake of July's coup attempt. The botched putsch raised questions about intelligence failings which government officials have acknowledged.
Erdogan has been urging swifter and harsher response to the coup and to supporters of the U.S-based cleric Fethullah Gulen who the government blames for the botched putsch, but Ala has been slow and rather ineffective, according to the newspaper.
In the wake of the coup, the government has purged thousands of Gulen supporters, including police officers, soldiers, judges, prosecutors and civil servants.
Related Articles
Kurdish official estimates Iraqi oil losses at $28bn
The 18-month suspension of oil exports from Iraqi Kurdistan has cost the state more than $28bn in lost revenue, a senior Kurdish official has said, as the fiscal damage is compounded by security ... more
Turkey’s Şahinler invests $100mn in Egypt’s garments and tourism sectors
Turkish group Şahinler Holding is expanding its operations in Egypt with new investments exceeding $100mn across the ready-made garments and tourism sectors, Al Sharq Business reported on August 27, ... more
Turkish government plans special "People's Aisle" sections in markets for cheaper products
A new government-backed initiative called “Cumhur Reyonu” (“People’s Aisle”) will be rolled out across Turkey’s major supermarket chains, which collectively operate over 55,000 branches ... more
Most Read
-
Renewable capacity growth is faster than ever, but more acceleration needed to meet Paris 2030 goal, says IEA
1 year ago
-
Kyrgyzstan abandons attempt to rescue Russian climber trapped on icy summit of country’s highest mountain
23 days ago
-
BERTRAND: China after Communism, preparing for a post-CCP China
1 month ago
-
Hungarian economy faces weak growth, slow path to price stability, central bank report shows
2 months ago
-
UKRAINE REMONT: The battle to build: signs of recovery in Ukraine's construction industry
5 months ago