News Analysis: New Turkish government reflects Erdogan's signature all over

Turkey's new Prime Minister Binali Yildirim, recently handpicked by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has replaced eight ministers in the government with Erdogan loyalists, hinting changes in policies.

"The cabinet reshuffle summary is a soft transition to the executive presidency in Turkey", Turkish analyst Sezin Oney commented.

She underlined that all the names picked up by Yildirim reflected Erdogan's choices, predicting that failures on foreign policy and suspended Kurdish peace talks will be blamed on the departing ministers.

Yildirim, who was officially throned to be the chairman of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) on Sunday's party convention, unveiled his new cabinet on Tuesday.

Turkish parliament has started procedures on the vote of the confidence on the Yildirim's government. Given the fact that the AKP has the majority in the parliament, it is unlikely for the new government to fail the vote.

The notable changes in the new government is the departure of deputy prime minister Yalcin Akdogan who was the pointman in handling Kurdish peace process.

Turkish government launched peace process in 2012 by negotiating with Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) to resolve decades-long Kurdish problem, but the process was collapsed last summer over violent clashes.

MODEST CHANGES IN ECONOMIC MANAGEMENT

Several ministers who were involved in the management of the economy were replaced with new ones while others kept their posts.

Nihat Zeybekci, close ally of Turkish president, has been appointed as the new economy minister while Lutfi Elvan was named as Development Minister.

The new prime minister kept Mehmet Simsek, deputy prime minister whose portfolio included overseeing the managements of state-owned banks, treasury and central bank, in the cabinet, signaling continuity in economic and fiscal policies.

Whether he will be able to pursue the same portfolio in the new term remains to be seen as the government will decide portfolio distribution later.

Fatih Keresteci, HSBC Turkey's strategist, said keeping Simsek in the government is a positive sign.

Unsal Unlu, Turkish analyst, believes the president was afraid of economic crisis and that was the reason why he kept Simsek and Finance Minister Naci Agbal in the new cabinet.

Erdogan's son-in-law Berat Albayrak, used to be energy minister, will also remain in the same post in the new government. Customs and Trade Minister Bulent Tufenkçi will continue to perform in the new government with the same portfolio.

ERDOGAN'S SIGNATURE ALL OVER THE GOV'T

Not just the names, but also the way the new cabinet was announced reflected the Erdogan's signature all over the government of Turkey.

Yildirim revealed the names in the cabinet from Erdogan's palace rather than at the Prime Minister's office which marked a significant shift from the past tradition.

Erdogan is also expected to preside over the new government's first cabinet meeting on Wednesday, giving further signs on his determination to consolidate power at his office.

Turkey's main opposition Republican Peoples' Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu described the new cabinet as the "first palace government," referring Erdogan's influence on the executive branch from his newly built lavish palace in the heart of Ankara.

"They toppled the previous government by a palace coup', he claimed, vowing that his party will continue to resist the government's push to change the Turkish regime from a parliamentary democracy to an executive presidency.

HINT ON FOREIGN POLICY SHIFT

Omer Celik, the AKP's spokesman and deputy chairman, was named in the cabinet as the European Union minister and chief negotiator on Turkey's accession talks. He replaced Volkan Bozkir, a career diplomat who served as the chairman of foreign relations commission in Turkish Parliament before as well as the EU minister in previous governments.

Celik, an Islamist, is known for harsh criticism of the West in general and the EU in particular. His selection may suggest Ankara will take more confrontational approach with the European political and economic bloc.

Ankara and Brussels have been at odds over recent migrant deal, controversial application of anti-terror laws, as well as the expanded crackdown on rights and freedoms in the EU candidate country Turkey.

Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, who remained in the new government, on Sunday hinted that there might be some adjustments needed in Turkish foreign policy although he ruled out a radical shift.

In his parliamentary speech on Tuesday, Yildirim said his government wants to increase the number of friends and reduce the number of enemies.

Describing the conflict in Syria as "meaningless war" that lasted over four years, Yildirim lamented that hundreds of thousands of their religious brothers lost their lives in the war.

According to Oney, the failures on Syrian war and troubled relations with Moscow over downing of Russian jet on Turkish-Syrian border last year will be billed to the former Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu. Endit