Turkey appoints family, labor, trade ministers

ISTANBUL

Turkey replaced the country’s trade minister and appointed two ministers to newly established ministries early Wednesday, the Official Gazette announced.

Trade Minister Ruhsar Pekcan was replaced by Mehmet Mus, the parliamentary group chairman for the ruling Justice and Development (AK) party, while Derya Yanik and Vedat Bilgin were appointed as ministers of the Family and Social Services Ministry and Labor and Social Security Ministry, respectively.

Another presidential decree on Wednesday announced that the country had restructured the Family, Labor Social Services Ministry to establish the two new ministries.

Mehmet Mus has an undergraduate degree in business from Turkey's Akdeniz University, a postgraduate degree in economy from Washington State University in the US and a doctoral degree from Turkey's Marmara University in economic history. He has been a member of parliament for the last four terms of government.

Derya Yanik, a lawyer, has an undergraduate degree in the field of law from Turkey's Istanbul University.

Vedat Bilgin has an undergraduate degree in social and administrative sciences from Turkey's Hacettepe University, a postgraduate degree in urbanization and industrialization and a doctoral degree in economic sociology from Istanbul University.

Bilgin, a former MP, was a lecturer at several universities including York University in the UK, Michigan University in the US and Turkey's Gazi University. He was also a counsellor of the presidency.