Foreign Ministry decree enters into force, key posts at UN reshuffled

The long-awaited governmental decree involving a significant reshuffle of key ambassadorial posts was originally released in the first half of June.

The publication of the decree in the Official Gazette on Aug. 16 was relatively belated, mainly due to the July 15 coup attempt. 

Feridun Sinirlioğlu had been the undersecretary of the Foreign Ministry in Ankara since August 2009, assuming responsibilities on several key international and regional affairs, but will now act as Turkey’s permanent representative to the U.N. in New York.

The appointments included in the June decree will be gradually published in the Official Gazette after the host states grant their agreement to the appointments.

Deputy Undersecretary Ahmet Muhtar Gün and the outgoing envoy to Russia, Ümit Yardım, have been tipped to replace Sinirlioğlu as undersecretary.

Ambassador Halit Çevik, who has served as the permanent representative of the Turkish mission to the U.N. since October 2012, has been reposted to headquarters in Ankara, as has Turkey’s current ambassador in Athens, Kerim Uras, who assumed his current post in January 2012. 

Ambassador Tunç Üğdül, director-general for research and security affairs at the headquarters, has been posted to Warsaw as Turkey’s new ambassador to Poland, while Turkey’s ambassador in Abu Dhabi, Mustafa Levent Bilgen, has been reposted to headquarters. 

Foreign Ministry Director-General for the Middle East and North Africa Can Dizdar will replace Bilgen, who assumed his duties in Abu Dhabi in December 2014.