Turkish Cypriot president approves new government

NICOSIA – Anadolu Agency

Cihan Photo

Turkish Cypriot President Mustafa Akıncı has approved a new coalition government cabinet under Prime Minister Ömer Kalyoncu.

The move comes after former Prime Minister Ozkan Yorgancıoğlu stepped down on July 4 after losing a party leadership vote in June.

Two days later, Akıncı asked Republican Turkish Party-United Forces MP Kalyoncu to form a new government.
 
Kalyoncu’s party formed a coalition with the National Unity Party and announced the government’s new cabinet list after submitting it for the president’s approval on July 15.
 
The new cabinet members are as follows:

- Prime Minister: Ömer Soyer Kalyoncu

- Foreign Minister: Emine Çolak

- Finance Minister: Hasan Başoğlu

- Interior and Labor Minister: Aziz Gürpınar

- Economy, Industry and Trade Minister: Sunat Atun

- Public Works, Environment and Culture Minister: Kutlu Evren

- Transportation Minister: Tahsin Ertuğruloğlu

- National Education Minister: Kemal Dürüst 

- Agriculture, Natural Resources and Food: Önder Sennaroğlu

- Health Minister: Salih İzbul

- Tourism Minister: Faiz Sucuoğlu

In the 50-deputy Turkish Cypriot Assembly, 26 seats are needed for a majority to form a government.

The Republican Turkish Party-United Forces has 21 seats and the National Unity Party has 18 seats, while the Democratic Party and Communal Democracy Party are represented with eight and three seats, respectively.