Erdogan Taps Markets Veteran Simsek as Turkey’s Finance Minister
- Former Merrill Lynch strategist appointed in sweeping overhaul
- Choice signals shift away from Erdogan’s unorthodox measures
Recep Tayyip Erdogan, center, his wife Emine Erdogan, right, and Mehmet Simsek attend the opening of Necat Nasiroglu Complex in Batman, Turkey, on May 10.
Photographer: Murat Cetinmuhurdar/Turkish Presidency/Handout/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images
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Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan named Mehmet Simsek as treasury and finance minister, the most prominent appointment in a renewed cabinet that will face the challenge of restoring investor confidence after elections.
In an announcement on Saturday, the country’s longest-serving leader overhauled much of his cabinet, just hours after being sworn in as president to start a term that extends his power into a third decade.