President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who extended his two decades in power in elections on Sunday, met with former Finance Minister Mehmet Şimşek on Monday, two sources told to Reuters.
Turkish broadcaster NTV also reported the meeting without further details.
The two sources did not elaborate on the content of the meeting.
Before the May 14 elections, there were reports surrounding Şimşek’s potential inclusion in the new Cabinet following the election.
Presidential Spokesperson Ibrahim Kalın most recently addressed the rumors regarding Şimşek’s appointment to the new Cabinet, saying Şimşek “has expressed indirect support for this process and will continue to do so moving forward.”
After Erdoğan’s historic victory in the presidential runoff on Sunday, Şimşek congratulated him on his social media account.
“I congratulate our President, @RTErdogan, who was re-elected with the strong support of our people in his political walk that lasted for a quarter of a century. I wish success to our President in his service to our nation. I wish the new era to be optimistic for our country and the world,” his tweet read.
Şimşek, meanwhile, said in March that he is not interested in active politics.
After meeting with Erdoğan, Şimşek said he was ready to provide the necessary support in his area. “But due to my work at foreign financial institutions, I am not thinking of going into active politics,” he wrote on Twitter.
Ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) spokesperson Ömer Çelik said at the time that Erdoğan and Şimşek had discussed recent developments and policies.
“If he preferred active politics, all the mechanisms and duties of our party would be open to Mr. Mehmet,” Çelik told reporters.
Erdoğan did not make an offer to Şimşek regarding a ministry, vice presidency or chief adviser position, Çelik said.
