Gov’t rushes decrees before mandate expires

The government issued five statutory decrees yesterday to reshape some institutions and create new ones, just one day before its six-month mandate of legislative power expires.

One of the decrees renamed the Transport Ministry to the Ministry of Ministry of Transport, Maritime Affairs and Communications. Designing space crafts and improving space technology were added to the new ministry’s tasks.

Another decree reshaped the Turkish Cooperation and Development Administration (TIKA) as the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Directorate and defined its task as the development of projects and activities that would improve economic, commercial, social, cultural and education cooperation with partner countries.

A third decree established the Public Monitoring, Accounting and Auditing Institution, tasking it with drafting and publishing the Turkish Accounting Standards, and monitoring independent auditing firms.

Another newly-created body was the Water Institute of Turkey (SUEN), which was attached to the Ministry of Forestry and Water Affairs. The institute will coordinate Turkey’s water resources and draw up short and long-term strategies on water management.

The last decree restructured the organizational scheme of the Ministry of Forestry and Water Affairs. The staff of the now-abolished Ministry of Environment and Forestry was assigned to the General Directorate of Forestry.

Parliament had granted the government the authority to issue legislative decrees for a period of six months in May. The mandate is to expire today.