Tuğrul Türkeş

Turkey's Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım announced the much-anticipated cabinet reshuffle on July 19, changing four of his five deputy premiers while keeping the foreign team in place and introducing six new names. 

Main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) deputy leader Bülent Tezcan has accused the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) of dividing the country into two and excluding the opposition from July 15 commemoration events. 

"The AKP is running a marginalization campaign over the July 15 commemorations," Tezcan said after a Central Executive Board meeting on July 12. 

Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Tuğrul Türkeş has said that the Dutch cabinet's reaction to his planned visit to the country is an "intervention to Turkish citizens' democratic rights."

Main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) lawmaker Murat Emir has filed a criminal complaint against Deputy Prime Minister Tuğrul Türkeş, accusing him of "revealing secret state information."

Turkey should maintain its "cautious optimism" toward the European Union, opposition Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahçeli has said amid hints from the government that it will attempt to break the ice with the EU.

Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev will pay a visit to Istanbul on May 22 to attend a summit of the Organization of the Black Sea Cooperation (BSEC) and hold talks with senior Turkish officials amid expectations that Moscow will soon lift all sanctions imposed on Turkish agricultural goods. 

The first seven members of the Board of Judges and Prosecutors (HSK), which will be restructured next week as part of the constitutional amendments approved on April 16, were appointed by an alliance between the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and the opposition Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) in parliament in a late night session on May 16 and 17. 

Turkey entered a new reality as of yesterday with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan putting aside the principle of impartiality and joining the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) under the terms of the recently amended constitution. With the current plans, on May 21 he will also become the chairman of the ruling party.

Turkey's government will seek consensus with the opposition in drafting laws to introduce the newly approved constitutional amendments but will proceed on its own in the event that other parties do not contribute to the process, Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım has said.

Turkey's main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), however, has vowed to continue opposing the charter.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan will visit China to join a summit for the "Belt and Road," Beijing's ambitious international logistics and trade plan, Deputy Prime Minister Tuğrul Türkeş has said.