PM: This is not a cabinet that will last for five years
No women and few fresh faces in new Council of Ministers as Faiz Sucuoğlu puts preference on experience to get North Cyprus through a ‘difficult period’
PRIME Minister Faiz Sucuoğlu has warned his ministers not to get too comfortable in their seats as he unveiled the new cabinet following the creation of the TRNC’s 26th government and the second coalition between the National Unity Party (UBP) Democrat Party (DP) and Rebirth Party (YDP) after weeks of talks following the general election on January 23.
Dr Sucuoğlu presented his Council of Ministers list to President Ersin Tatar on Monday, saying: “This cabinet won’t last for five years.”
He likened the cabinet to a relay race, indicating that the baton would be passed on to those not given a ministerial role.
Expressing that all 24 UBP MPs are “highly esteemed, elected by the people and have no shortcomings when it comes to serving” the public, Dr Sucuoğlu said that a reshuffle would be made if necessary.
“When the occasion arises and as long as circumstances allow, there may be fatigue and other difficulties but these friends of ours will serve in the next term,” he told reporters after announcing the list of ministers.
Dr Sucuoğlu said that he had given preference to MPs with previous ministerial experience due to the “difficult period” the TRNC is going through.
Asked about his comments during a later BRT TV interview, Dr Sucuoğlu said that ministers would be judged on their performance.
“As we have received many complaints, we need to regain the citizens’ satisfaction,” he said.
“If civil servants and their managers are not working in a ministry, the minister and the undersecretary are responsible for this.
“A big responsibility falls on the ministers. The thing I envied most during our visits to Turkey is that the lights in their ministries don’t turn off until 9-10pm.”
Three members of the previous cabinet, all from the UBP, were left off the new list of ministers. They were Oglun Amcaoğlu, who was the National Education and Culture Minister; Tahsin Ertuğruloğlu, who was the Foreign Minister; and Resmiye Canaltay, who was the Public Works and Transport Ministers.
The new ministerial team is notable for its lack of women and few new names. The oldest ministers are Ünal Üstel and Ali Pilli, both born in 1955, while 48-year-old Oğuzhan Hasipoğlu and 49-year-old Sunat Atun are the youngest.
Mr Hasipoğlu is the only member of the cabinet who has not previously served as a minister.
The Council of Minsters includes two doctors (Faiz Sucuoğlu and Ali Pilli), a dentist (Ünal Üstel), one lawyer (Oğuzhan Hasipoğlu) and a teacher (Nazım Çavuşoğlu).
Here is the full list of ministers and their CVs:
PRIME MINISTER DR FAİZ SUCUOĞLU
He was born in 1961 in the Paphos town of Poli. After graduating from Lefkoşa Turkish High School, he began his medical education in Germany with a scholarship from the German government. He completed the last two years of his medical education in İstanbul and specialised in obstetrics and gynaecology at Zeynep-Kamil Hospital.
He returned to the TRNC in 1993 and, after his military service, worked in his own private clinic. He first entered Parliament as a Lefkoşa MP in the July 28, 2013, general election.
Dr Sucuoğlu has previously served as tourism minister, health minister, and labour and social security minister. He was elected as the leader of
the National Unity Party (UBP) on October 31, 2021, and became Prime Minister of the UBP-Democrat Party (DP) coalition government on November 5, 2021. He also speaks English and German and is married and has two children.
DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER AND TOURISM, CULTURE, YOUTH & ENVIRONMENT MINISTER FİKRİ ATAOĞLU
He was born in 1964 in Avtepe. He completed his primary, secondary and high school education in Gazimağusa. He is a business graduate. He has held various positions in the DP since 1992. Mr Ataoğlu, who was elected as a DP Gazimağusa MP in the general election of July 28, 2013, served as Tourism and Environment Minister in the UBP-DP National Forces coalition government, which was established on April 16, 2016.
He again took office as Tourism and Environment Minister in the CTP-HP-TDP-DP coalition government formed on February 2, 2018, until May 22, 2019.
Mr Ataoğlu also served as the Tourism and Environment Minister in the UBP-DP-YDP (Rebirth Party) government established on December 9, 2020, a role he retained in the subsequent UBP-DP government formed on November 5, 2021.
Four days later he was given the extra role of Deputy Prime Minister. He is married with three children and also speaks Greek and English.
ECONOMY AND ENERGY MINISTER KUTLU EVREN
He was born in 1957 in Girne. He studied business administration and tourism at Hacettepe University in Turkey. He is the owner of a company operating in the natural marble, granite and ceramics market. He first served as a UBP MP from 1991 to 1993. He was re-elected in the July 28, 2013, general election.
He served as the Public Works, Environment and Culture Minister in the Republican Turkish Party United Forces-UBP coalition government, which was founded on July 15, 2015.
He resigned from this position on April 4, 2016. He served as the Interior Minister in the UBP-DP National Forces coalition government, which was formed on April 16, 2016. After the UBP-People’s Party coalition was established on May 22, 2019, he became the Tourism and Environment Minister on June 19, 2020. Mr Evren served as the Interior Minister in the UBP-DP-YDP government formed on December 9, 2020, a role he kept in the UBP-DP coalition formed on November 5, 2021. He is married and has two children.
FINANCE MINISTER SUNAT ATUN
He was born in Gazimağusa in 1973. After completing his secondary school education, he graduated from the department of economics at Leicester University in the UK in 1995.
He studied European logistics management at Nantes University in France in 1996 and obtained a transport management master’s degree from Plymouth University in 1997.
He served as a Cyprus Turkish Chamber of Commerce council member in 2005, Young Businessmen’s Association president from 2006 to 2009 and Turkey’s Young Businessmen’s Confederation vice president in 2007.
He was elected as a UBP Gazimağusa MP in April 2009. He served as the Economy and Energy Minister from May 4, 2009 to June 13, 2013.
He was appointed general secretary of the UBP in October 2013. He served as Economy, Industry and Trade Minister until April 4, 2016, and the Economy and Energy Minister until February 2, 2018. Mr Atun was reappointed to this ministerial post in the UBP-DP government created on November 5, 2021. He is married and has three children.
FOREIGN MINISTER HASAN TAÇOY
Born in Lefkoşa in 1963, he graduated from the USA’s University of Wisconsin Faculty of Economics and Political Sciences in 1986 before starting a career in “free trade” and the clothing sector.
After spells as the head of the youth branch and head of the Lefkoşa district branch of the National Unity Party (UBP) he was first elected as a UBP Lefkoşa MP in 1998, winning successive terms in the 2003, 2005, 2009, 2013, 2018 and 2022 general elections.
He served as the Public Works and
Transport Minister in the Eroğlu government established on May 4, 2009, until May 17, 2010.
He became Public Works and Transport Minister once again in October 2014 and also served as the Economy and Energy Minister in the UBP-People’s Party coalition government, which was established on May 22, 2019. He speaks English, is married and has two children.
INTERIOR MINISTER ÜNAL ÜSTEL
The oldest member of the Council of Ministers, Mr Üstel was born in the Paphos village of Yeşilova in 1955. In 1983 he graduated from İstanbul University’s Faculty of Dentistry. He first entered Parliament, as a Girne UBP MP, in a 1991 by-election and held on to his seat in the 1993 general election.
He served as Deputy Speaker from June 22, 2001 to October 2, 2003, and as Deputy General Secretary of the UBP from 2006 to 2009. On April 6, 2011, he was appointed Tourism, Environment and Culture Minister under the first İrsen Küçük government. On September 4, 2013, he became Deputy Speaker once again and served in this position until October 9, 2015.
He served as Tourism and Environment Minister in the UBP-People’s
Party coalition government, established on May 22, 2019 but was sacked from this role on June 19, 2020.
Mr Üstel returned to the cabinet just six months later, as the Public Works and Transport Minister in the UBP-DP-YDP coalition government established on December 9, 2020. He then served as Health Minister from February 20, 2021 to November 5, 2021. He is married and has two children.
PUBLIC WORKS AND TRANSPORT MINISTER PROF DR ERHAN ARIKLI
Born in Kars-Ardahan in Turkey in 1962, he graduated from Ankara University’s Faculty of Theology in 1985. He completed his first master’s degree in Ankara, second master’s degree at Girne American University, third master’s degree at Azerbaijan Beynelhalk University and a doctorate at the Azerbaijan Academy of Science’s Institute of Oriental Studies.
Since 1991, he has worked to promote the TRNC abroad, giving conferences in Turkic states and communities and was awarded an “Outstanding Service Medal” by the late Chechen leader Dzhokhar Dudayev.
In 2005, he was assigned to Azerbaijan as the special representative of the TRNC Foreign Minister and worked for direct flights between the TRNC and Azerbaijan. He was then appointed as the Foreign Ministry’s representative in Kyrgyzstan. While working there, Dr Arıklı continued his studies and published two books, The Turkic Peoples and Their History and The Cultural History of Turkic Peoples.
He first entered Parliament following the January 2018 general election as a Gazimağusa MP and leader of the Rebirth Party (YDP). He served as Deputy Prime Minister and Economy and Energy Minister in the first UBP-DP-YDP coalition from December 9, 2020, to November 5, 2021. He is married and has three children.
NATIONAL EDUCATION MINISTER NAZIM ÇAVUŞOĞLU
He was born in 1965 in Topçuköy. He studied Turkish language and literature at the Atatürk University. In 1991, he was appointed as a Turkish language and literature teacher at the Karpaz Vocational High School, where he worked for 10 years.
During the same period, he completed his master’s degree in folk literature at Girne American University. He was first elected as a UBP İskele MP in the December 14, 2003, general election.
He served as the Agriculture and Natural Resources Minister in the Eroğlu government formed on May 4, 2009. He served as the National Education, Youth and Sports Minister in the government headed by İrsen Küçük, which was established on May 27, 2010, and then, following a reshuffle, Interior and Local Government Minister from April 6, 2011 to June 13, 2013.
He was the Agriculture and Natural Resources Minister in the UBPDP National Forces coalition government, formed on April 16, 2016. He served as the National Education and Culture Minister in the UBPPeople’s Party coalition government established on May 22, 2019, before becoming Agriculture and Natural Resources Minister again in the UBP-DP-YDP government formed on December 9, 2020, a role that he retained in the UBP-DP government formed on November 5, 2021. He is married and has two children.
AGRICULTURE AND NATURAL RESOURCES MINISTER DURSUN OĞUZ
He was born in Samsun (AyvacıkÇarşamba) in Turkey in 1966. He came to the TRNC in 1975. He graduated from Turkey’s Anadolu University’s department of business administration and completed his master’s degree with a thesis in educational administration, supervision, planning and economics at Near East University. In 1996, he started to work at the Civil Defence Organisation’s Gazimağusa Regional Directorate.
In 2009, he resigned from this position and was appointed as the Deputy Prime Ministry and Foreign
Ministry Cabinet Chief of Staff.
He was first elected as a UBP Gazimağusa MP in the July 28, 2013 general election. He served as the Agriculture and Natural Resources Minister in the UBP-People’s Party coalition government, which was formed on May 22, 2019. Mr Oğuz was also the Finance Minister in the UBP-DP-YDP government established on December 9, 2020, and the UBP-DP government established on November 5, 2021. He is married and has three children.
HEALTH MINISTER ALİ PİLLİ
He was born in 1955 in Paphos’s Falya (Gökçebel) village. After graduating from the Faculty of Medicine at Çukurova University, Turkey, he completed his specialist training in internal medicine at İstanbul’s Kartal Education and Research Hospital.
He worked as an internal medicine specialist at various health agencies in Turkey, and in the TRNC at the Güzelyurt Health Centre, Cengiz Topel Hospital and Lefke Health Centre, and as chief physician at Güzelyurt Health Centre.
He was first elected as a UBP MP in the 2013 general election. He became Health Minister in the UBPPeople’s Party Coalition Government, which was formed on May 22, 2019, a role he continued in under the UBP-DP-YDP government established on December 9, 2020, before he was sacked in February 2021. He returned as Health Minister in the UBP-DP government established on November 5, 2021. He is married and has one child.
LABOUR AND SOCIAL SECURITY MINISTER OĞUZHAN HASİPOĞLU
The youngest and newest member of the cabinet, he was born in Gazimağusa in 1974.
After graduating from İstanbul University’s Faculty of Law, he completed a master’s degree in Maritime and State Law at the University of Southampton in England.
He worked as a lawyer in İstanbul between 1999 and 2001.
He also served as legal adviser to the Cyprus Turkish Football Association, and to the Cyprus Foundations Administration (Evkaf) regarding their properties in the fenced-off area of Maraş.
During negotiations for the “Annan Plan” for a solution in Cyprus, Mr Hasipoğlu served as part of the Turkish Cypriot negotiating team.
He participated in the Geneva, New York and Green Tree summits held under the auspices of the UN Secretary-General between 2012 and 2014.
In 2017, he also participated in the Cyprus talks held in Geneva and Crans Montana, Switzerland, as a representative of the National Unity Party (UBP).
As the UBP’s foreign relations officer, he took part in monthly Cyprus issue meetings between Turkish Cypriot and Greek Cypriot political parties, held in the island’s buffer zone
He was first elected as a UBP MP in January 2018. He is married and has three children.
FORMER MINISTER: I DID NOT GIVE PRIVILEGES TO ANYONE
FORMER Public Works and Transport Minister Resmiye Canaltay said she did not give favours to anyone and abided by the law during her time in office.
National Unity Party (UBP) MP Mrs Canaltay, who was the only female minister in the previous government, made the comments on social media after she was left out of the new three party coalition formed by UBP leader Faiz Sucuoğlu.
“During my short time as minister, I focused on completing unfinished projects and realising projects that would make things easier for our people,” she wrote.
“The completion of the Lefkoşa Ring Road, the Iskele-Karpaz Road and the Güzelyurt-Lefke connection roads, and the launching of procurement processes have been things we can all be proud of during this time.
I protected the public’s every penny while I was in office
“To do this, we worked with the Turkish authorities to produce speedy solutions. I would also like to thank Turkey’s Transport and Infrastructure Minister Adil Karaismailoğlu, whom we worked in complete coordination with at every stage.
“When we consider this sector, the Public Works and Transport Ministry is the ministry that should best protect public resources on behalf of our people.
“I protected the public’s every penny while I was in office. I did not give privileges to anyone, I served by keeping my oath to the laws.
“I will continue to monitor the ministry’s activities from this perspective during the new term. I would like to thank all my colleagues who I worked with during this time. I hope the new government will benefit us all.”