The man of action to become prime minister


The Justice and Development Party (AK Party) has decided to name Transportation and Communications Minister Binali Yıldırım as its new chairman and hence the prime minister. Everything from now on is a mere formality and will be completed swiftly.

The nomination of Yıldırım has come as no surprise. For days, Ankara was buzzing with word that Yıldırım would be the next party chairman of the AK Party to replace Professor Ahmet Davutoğlu.

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan wanted Yıldırım to replace Davutoğlu way back before the Nov. 1 elections. However, at that time, Davutoğlu was given another chance to prove himself and after the November landslide victory in the parliamentary elections, he seemed to consolidate his position. It seems in time Davutoğlu realized that he could not match the pace required from him to accelerate reforms and changes in the state system of Turkey and thus decided to step down.

Now Yıldırım will become the captain of the ship that is sailing according to the plans set by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

Turkey's course has been and is being charted by President Erdoğan. Yıldırım is required to sail the ship safely but with speed.

He is more than capable of doing this as he has proven with the massive transportation and communication projects he has undertaken in Turkey over the past 12 years.

Yıldrım has impressed everyone with his ability to overcome the odds and challenges and realize these projects at speed. He hasn't allowed anyone to erect obstructions in front of him, at times he has used shortcuts to get what he wanted. He did all these in the interest of the country and today we can see the magnificent results: Huge highways all across the country, an excellent air network with airports even at the most remote places, even in southeastern Turkey, air travel, which has become widespread, a growing Turkish Airlines, which has become one of the leading companies in the world, speed trains between vital cities and a rail network that is being expanded with speed, excellent communications facilities and systems.

Today, President Erdoğan expects Yıldırım to display such talents as a man of action who works with speed in politics.

When Erdoğan sets a policy in motion he needs a man like Yıldırım to act with speed and overcome all the hurdles to realize this. He wants Yıldırım to use his talents to overcome difficulties and hurdles swiftly, which was not the case with Davutoğlu who questioned some of these policies and at times stalled.

This means Yıldırım will be required to push for changing the state system with speed and get results. He will apparently push for changing the Constitution to allow the president to be a political party member, which will be the first step in the quest for a presidential system.

We will see many changes under Yıldırım, designed to speed up government action in all fields.

Binali Yıldırım is not a man of "ifs" and "buts" but a man of action and results.