Nine foreign ministry officials resign to run in elections

Sevil Erkuş - sevil.erkus@hurriyet.com.tr ANKARA

Nine officials from Turkey’s Foreign Ministry resigned before the Feb. 10 deadline in order to run in the upcoming parliamentary elections, scheduled for June 7.

Hulusi Kılıç submitted his resignation to run for the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) on Feb. 10, after serving as the general director of Bilateral Political Affairs at the Foreign Ministry. Kılıç had been head of the protocol department for during President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s time as prime minister, before he was appointed as Turkey’s ambassador to Baku.

Hüseyin Avni Bıçaklı resigned from his post on Feb. 6 in order to run for the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP). Bıçaklı had earlier run in the 2011 general elections for the MHP before returning to the ministry.

Dursun Erman Birdal, the 27-year-old second secretary of the Foreign Ministry, is the youngest among the ministry officials who wants to run in the elections.

Former Ambassador to Somalia Cemalettin Kani Torun, Ambassador to Cameroon Ömer Faruk Doğan, First Secretary to Turkey’s Embassy in Turkish Cyprus Seyit Mehmet Apa, Advisor to Turkey’s Permanent Representative to the OSCE Dilek Ertürk, auditor Mikail Yılmaz, and second secretary Vahit Özdemir are the other ministry officials who have resigned.