A photo from when Vasip Şahin was the governor of Ankara. Anadolu Agency.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan reshuffled governors in four provinces, including the capital Ankara, bringing a change at the police department as well, according to a decree published in the Official Gazette early on April 30.
Vasip Şahin, who had served as governor of Ankara for nearly eight years, was removed from his post and appointed as head of the Human Rights and Equality Institution of Türkiye (TİHEK). No official reason was given for his reassignment. Şahin previously served as governor of Istanbul before his role in the capital.
Yakup Canbolat, the governor of the western province of Aydın, was appointed as the new governor of Ankara. Changes were also made in the governorships of Aydın, the central city of Nevşehir and the southeastern province of Adıyaman.
According to the Official Gazette, another major change took place within the police department. Police Chief Mahmut Demirtaş was removed from his position and reassigned a lower post within the Interior Ministry. Demirtaş had been serving in the role since 2024.
Ali Fidan, the governor of Nevşehir, was appointed as the new chief of police. At the same time, local police chiefs in seven provinces, including Ankara, were also replaced.
