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New Turkish top diplomat: pro-EU Erdogan ally

29 August 2014, 12:12 CET
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(ISTANBUL) - Mevlut Cavusoglu, who was on Friday named as the new Turkish foreign minister, is a strong supporter of Turkey's integration with the European Union as well as part of the inner circle of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Cavusoglu takes on the post at a critical time, with Turkey mired in foreign policy difficulties amid the strife in its conflict-torn neighbours Syria and Iraq.

"It's a great honour, we will do our best," Cavusoglu said after his appointment.

Previously European affairs minister, Cavusoglu, 46, was one of the founder members of the Islamic-rooted Justice and Development Party (AKP) that has ruled Turkey since 2002.

Educated in Ankara, New York and the London School of Economics, Cavusoglu served from 2010-2012 as president of the parliamentary assembly of the Council of Europe, the first Turk to hold the post.

Accession talks with the European Union started in 2005 but the process has become mired in difficulties with no clear prospect for Turkey's membership in sight.

However after assuming the presidency on Thursday, Erdogan again set EU membership as a strategic goal for Turkey and Cavusoglu will have the task of driving this forward.

"Our walk towards the EU -- which is our strategic target -- will continue with determination," Erdogan said.

More of a practical diplomat than an idealogue, Cavusoglu may be a contrast to his predecessor Ahmet Davutoglu who has now been promoted to prime minister under Erdogan.

Davutoglu, who became foreign minister in 2009, is a controversial figure blamed by some for pursuing an over-ambitious foreign policy that led to the rise of Islamic militants in Syria.

The author of several contentious academic works, Davutoglu has argued that Turkey should be a global power at the centre of the Islamic world. It remains to be seen is Cavusoglu shares this view.

Cavusoglu faces an immediate crisis in seeking to secure the liberation of 49 Turks abducted from the Turkish consulate by jihadists in Mosul in Iraq on June 12.

A fluent speaker of English, German and Japanese, Cavusoglu (pronounced Cha-vush-oh-loo) hails from the Mediterranean city of Antalya. His official Twitter account is @MevlutCavusoglu.


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