More civil servants quit for polls ahead of deadline

ISTANBUL

Kayseri mayor Mehmet Özhaseki has resigned to run for the AKP. DHA Photo

More civil servants who are seeking to run for a parliamentary seat submitted their resignations on Feb. 10, ahead of the deadline on the same day for civil servants to resign in order to be nominated as candidates for the June 7 parliamentary elections.

Two members of the board of the Energy Market Regulatory Authority (EPDK), Abdullah Tancan and Fazıl Şenel, have resigned reportedly to become candidates for the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP). EPDK head Mustafa Yılmaz, whose resignation was speculated on according to earlier reports, is said to have opted to remain in his seat. 

Galatasaray University Rector Ethem Tolga has resigned to run for the AKP, as well as Kayseri Mayor Mehmet Özhaseki.

A chief adviser to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Mustafa İsen, who previously worked as the secretary-general of the presidency when Abdullah Gül was in office, joined the senior civil servants who submitted their resignations, along with Bilal Çetin, a press adviser to Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu.

Youth and Sports Ministry Deputy Undersecretary Kamuran Özden is set to become a parliamentary candidate for the AKP in the Black Sea province of Samsun, while General Directorate of Credit and Dormitories General Manager Recep Kaymakcan has also resigned to be a candidate from the Çorum province.

Turkish State Railways General Manager Süleyman Karaman, Transportation Ministry deputy undersecretary Türker Yörükçüoğlu, Sports directorate head Mehmet Baykan, Police chief of Muğla province Veysal Tipioğlu, Customs Directorate head Cenap Aşcı, Customs and Trade chief inspector Ali Aygün and Customs and Trade Minister’s deputy Fatih Metin also submitted their resignations.