Five Foreign Ministry officials resign to run in elections

ANKARA

Ambassador Öztürk Yılmaz

Five officials from Turkey’s Foreign Ministry resigned before an Aug. 31 deadline to run in the upcoming parliamentary elections on Nov. 1, ministry spokesperson Tanju Bilgiç said Sept. 2.

Hulusi Kılıç, who resigned to run in the June 7 elections after serving as the general director of bilateral political affairs at the Foreign Ministry, has submitted his resignation again to run for the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP). 

Kılıç had been the head of the protocol department during President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s time as prime minister before being appointed as Turkey’s ambassador to Baku. 

Turkey’s former ambassador to Montenegro, Mehmet Niyazi Tanılır, is also among those resigning. Tınılır served as an adviser to the Prime Ministry and was an envoy despite not being a career diplomat.

An adviser to Turkey’s permanent representative to the OSCE, Dilek Ertürk, as well as auditor Mikail Yılmaz, have also resigned from the ministry to run in the Nov. 1 elections. Ertürk and Yılmaz had previously resigned to run in the June 7 elections. 

Ambassador Öztürk Yılmaz, Turkey’s former consul general to Mosul who was among 49 hostages held by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) for 101 days, unexpectedly resigned from the Foreign Ministry to run in the elections for the Republican People’s Party (CHP).

Speaking to daily Milliyet, Öztürk said politics had been an aspiration since his childhood.

Öztürk said he wanted to continue serving the state as he has done in all previous posts.

“I have been in efforts to be in places where I can do my best for my country. I went to Mosul for the same purpose, to be beneficial. I hope this will be beneficial for our country,” he said. 

Öztürk said one could become ensconced in the bureaucracy while serving the country, adding that entering parliament was a way to be of more benefit to the state.