Erdoğan appoints Lütfi Elvan as new finance minister after accepting son-in-law's resignation

Duvar English

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has appointed Lütfi Elvan, the chairman of Parliament's planning and budget committee, as the country's new finance and treasury minister.

The 58-year-old Elvan was transportation, maritime and infrastructure minister between 2013-2015 and development minister between 2016-2018.

Erdoğan accepts son-in-law Albayrak's resignation as finance minister

Elvan's assignment to the post was published in the Official Gazette early on Nov. 10, just hours after Erdoğan accepted the resignation of his son-in-law Berat Albayrak.

“As a result of the evaluation by our president, Finance and Treasury Minister Berat Albayrak’s request to resign has been accepted,” the Presidency’s Communications Directorate in a statement late on Nov. 9, adding that Erdoğan admired what it said were Albayrak’s successes in his two-year tenure as finance minister.

Earlier on Nov. 9, ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) spokesperson Ömer Çelik declined to comment on Albayrak’s resignation, saying that the minister's move does not concern the AKP, but the Presidency.

In comments made to the press following a central executive board meeting of the AKP, Çelik said that Erdoğan would announce his decision on the issue.

Turkish opposition slams AKP's silence on resignation of Finance Minister Albayrak

“In the executive presidential system, responsibility for appointing and dismissing ministers lies exclusively with the president. Any announcement on this matter will be made by our president if he sees fit,” Çelik said.

Albayrak said in an Instagram post on Nov. 8 that he was stepping down because of health reasons and to spend more time with his family.

While all opposition parties stressed that the confusion that erupted following Albayrak’s announcement stems from the presidential system, main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) spokesperson Faik Öztrak deemed it a “fight within the family.”

Erdoğan held a speech on Nov. 9 but did not address any concerns regarding the economy. In remarks made at the 12th Ambassador Conference in the capital Ankara, Erdoğan touched upon several issues such as the novel coronavirus, the Libyan crisis, the tension in the Eastern Mediterranean, the ongoing conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh, but refrained from making any remarks concerning the economy, including Albayrak’s resignation.