Abdurrahman Bilgiç, Turkey’s new ambassador to London
TURKEY’s ambassador to London was suddenly withdrawn from his post on Monday as part of a worldwide diplomatic reshuffle
Ünal Çeviköz, who has been ambassador since July 2010, was replaced by Abdurrahman Bilgiç, an undersecretary for Turkey’s intelligence service, MIT.
Turkish ambassadors to the United States, France and Switzerland were among those also replaced.
Mr Bilgiç, 50, was his country’s consul-general in Munich between 2005 and 2007. He spent a short stint as ambassador in Tokyo in 2011 before being recalled to take up his current role at MIT.
His notice of appointment reportedly contained a personal message from Foreign Minsiter Ahmet Davutoğlu: “Welcome back to our organisation”.
Mr Çeviköz has been told he is being recalled to Ankara, although rumours in the Turkish press have suggested he will shortly be appointed as ambassador in Moscow.
CHANGE IN WASHINGTON
Another prominent change in Turkish diplomatic personnel has taken place in Washington, where Namık Tan was replaced by Serdar Kılıç after nearly four years in the role.
Mr Kılıç is the uncle of Çağatay Kılıç, who was appointed youth and sports minister in last month’s extensive cabinet reshuffle.
The other new appointments are as follows:
- Bosnia-Herzegovina: Cihad Erginay;
- Czech Republic: Ahmet Necati Bigalı;
- France: Hakkı Akil;
- Ivory Coast: Esra Demir;
- Japan: Ahmet Bülent Meriç;
- Lithuania: Aydan Yamancan;
- Mali: Hikmet Renan Şekeroğlu;
- Mauritania: Mehmet Bilir;
- Switzerland: Mehmet Tuğrul Gücük.
Meanwhile the former Cairo ambassador and Mosul consul-general Hüseyin Avni Botsalı was made Turkey’s UNESCO permanent representative.