SEZER APPROVES APPOINTMENT OF NEW POLICE DIRECTOR GENERAL

Today’s Zaman, Turkey
March 7 2007

Oðuz Kaðan Koksal, the current governor of the Aegean city of Ýzmir,
on Tuesday was appointed the new police director-general, a post
that has been temporarily occupied by an acting official. Koksal’s
appointment decree has been approved by President Ahmet Necdet Sezer.

The post had remained unfilled since the retirement of Gokhan Aydýner
due to age, leading to criticism of the president’s reluctance to
appoint officials selected by the Justice and Development Party (AK
Party), particularly following the murder of the Turkish-Armenian
journalist Hrant Dink in January.

The government and Sezer reached agreement on the appointment of
Koksal to the post, and the relevant decree was approved by Sezer.

The government will appoint governors for five cities including
Ýzmir, which will be empty after Koksal’s departure. Newly appointed
Police Director-General Koksal is well known in Turkey as a long-term
governor, as he has governed the cities of Tekirdað, Malatya, Denizli,
Adana, Bursa and Ýzmir for the last 20 years.

–Boundary_(ID_gBToDlK/3OHhv43EP/r6yw)–
From: Baghdasarian