PRESIDENT GUL APPROVES PM ERDOGAN'S GOVERNMENT

UNCLAS ANKARA 002235 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV TU SUBJECT: PRESIDENT GUL APPROVES PM ERDOGAN'S GOVERNMENT LIST FOR TURKEY'S 60TH GOVERNMENT ¶1. (U) Less than 24 hours after Abdullah Gul assumed the office of President, PM Erdogan submitted to Gul his proposed list for Turkey's 60th government. Gul approved the list, which contains 25 names, up from 23 in the previous government. It includes three Deputy Premiers/State Ministers who are intended to play a coordination role. Overall, the list is one of continuity and experience, retaining 17 familiar names, shifting around some portfolios and drawing in eight new ministers. It is centrist, drawing in some names Erdogan had enticed onto the Justice and Development Party (AKP) election lists. As with Erdogan's previous cabinet, the list contains one woman. ¶2. (U) This marks only the second time in the history of the Turkish Republic that the same party has formed two consecutive single-party governments -- at the same time, it is a measure of the enormous responsibility AKP now assumes. ¶3. (U) Ministerial names: --Prime Minister: Recep Tayyip Erdogan --State Minister and Deputy Prime Ministers: Cemil Cicek, Hayati Yazici, Nazim Ekren --Foreign Minister and Chief EU Negotiator: Ali Babacan --Defense Minister: Vecdi Gonul --Interior Minister: Besir Atalay --Justice Minister: Mehmet Ali Sahin --Finance Minister: Kemal Unakitan --Energy Minister: Hilmi Guler --Environment and Forestry Minister: Veysel Eroglu --Health Minister: Recep Akdag --Education Minister: Huseyin Celik --Labor Minister: Faruk Celik --Culture and Tourism Minister: Ertugrul Gunay --Agriculture Minister: Mehdi Eker --Industry and Trade Minister: Zafer Caglayan --Transportation Minister: Binali Yildirim --Public Works Minister: Faruk Nafiz Ozak --State Ministers: Mehmet Aydin; Murat Basesgioglu; Kursad Tuzmen; Nimet Cubukcu; Mehmet Simsek; Mustafa Said Yazicioglu ¶4. (U) The new cabinet is set to meet for the first time at 7 pm local. AKP will read its government program in parliament on August 31 and plans to have a parliamentary vote of confidence on September 5. Parliament will then recess until at least October 1. Visit Ankara's Classified Web Site at http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/ankara/ WILSON