Türkiye changes envoys in Moscow, Kiev

ANKARA

The Turkish Foreign Ministry has reshuffled a number of ambassadors, including Moscow and Kiev, the two warring neighboring states. The spokesman of the Foreign Ministry, Tanju Bilgiç, will serve in Moscow while Mustafa Levent Bilgen will be deployed to Kiev, the Turkish media reported on June 16.

Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan issued a new decree to reshuffle a number of ambassadors after being appointed as the Turkish top diplomat following the May election. One of the most important appointments was to Moscow.

Bilgiç, who has been serving as the spokesman of the ministry since 2021, will replace Mehmet Samsar as the Turkish Ambassador to Moscow. His first ambassadorial posting was to Belgrade between 2016 and 2021.

Levent Bilgen will represent Türkiye in Ukraine’s Kiev, replacing Ambassador Yağmur Özdemir.

According to the new decree, Türkiye’s Ambassador to Bratislava Yunus Demirer will serve as the Turkish envoy to Paris, replacing Ambassador Ali Onaner. Rauf Alp Denktaş will represent Türkiye in Warsaw, Yavuz Kül in Asuncion, Mustafa İlker Kılıç in Rabat.

Nevzat Uyanık will serve as Türkiye’s permanent representative at the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). The decree includes two non-career diplomat appointments as well. Dr. Mücahit Küçükyılmaz, who has been serving at the Press Advertisement Institution since 2022 will represent Türkiye in Algeria while businesswoman Nüket Küçükel Ezberci will serve in Madrid as the new Turkish ambassador.