Binali Yildirim set to become Prime Minister of Turkey

Transport Minister of Turkey Binali Yildirim on 20 May 2016 emerged as the country’s Prime Minster. He was named as the prime minister after he was formally chosen for the post in a closed vote.

He will be the sole candidate for the Justice and Development Party (AKP) leadership at a special party congress on 22 May 2016.

He will succeed Ahmet Davutoglu, who earlier stepped down from the post following an increasing public rift with Erdogan.

The AKP will hold the special congress to elect a new leader on 22 May 2016.

About Binali Yildirim

• He is a close ally of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for about two decades.

• From 1994 to 2000, he served as the director general of the Istanbul Ferries Company (IDO).

• In August 2001, he entered politics and became a co-founder of the AKP alongside Erdogan.

• In 2002, he was chosen as a Member of Parliament (MP) and was named as the transport minister.

• In 2014, he resigned as transport minister because of his candidacy for the Izmir mayorship in the local elections.

• He lost the candidacy to opposition leader Aziz Kocaoglu.

• After this, he served as an adviser to Erdogan, before entering parliament again and returning to his role as the transport minister.

Comment

Appointment of Yildirim will also reinforce Erdogan's hold on government as he seeks to extend his powers. Erdogan, who is no more the leader of APK after being appointed as the President of the country, will try to tighten his grip on the party founded by him via Yilirim.

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