TURKISH CABINET RESHUFFLE EXPECTED ON THURSDAY

PanARMENIAN.Net
27.04.2009 10:55 GMT+04:00

Turkish cabinet reshuffle expected on Thursday

The appointments were not expected to bring major policy changes
in Turkey, which is under pressure to sign a deal with the IMF to
weather the global economic crisis and speed up reforms to shore up
its troubled European Union accession bid.

But the replacements would reinvigorate Erdogan’s Islamist rooted
Justice and Development Party, or AKP, government, which was punished
with a reduced share of the vote in local elections last month amid
record unemployment and a perception it has become out of touch.

Erdogan was expected to present his new list to President Abdullah
Gul during their weekly meeting on Thursday, the source said on Sunday.

Turkish media have speculated Economy Minister Mehmet Simsek may lose
his post, after the government came under fire from business groups
for failing to reach an agreement with the IMF after several months
of talks.

Foreign Minster Ali Babacan, who as economy minister between 2002-2007
led Turkey’s successful recovery from a deep crisis in 2001, has been
tipped as Simsek’s replacement.

"Babacan has good knowledge of dealing with the IMF, so this might
signal that Erdogan wants a trusted point man to coordinate the
looming IMF standby agreement," Tim Ash from Royal Bank of Scotland
said in a research note on Friday.

Newspapers have speculated that Ahmet Davutoglu, Erdogan’s chief
foreign policy advisor, may be next foreign minister.