Turkey's ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) has announced its list of candidates who will run for the upcoming June 7 general elections, where economists stood out the most among the other candidates. Curiosity has been aroused as to who will take the place of the current ministers since AK Party bylaws do not allow its members to have three consecutive terms. Current ministers who are relevant to the economy, including Economy Minister Nihat Zeybekci, Transport, Maritime Affairs and Communications Minister Lütfi Elvan, Science, Industry and Technology Minister Fikri Işık, Development Minister Cevdet Yılmaz, Finance Minister Mehmet Şimşek and Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmuş, were placed on the top of the list from their regions. In addition to those names, there are also many other economists on the candidate list. Borsa Istanbul's former Chairman İbrahim Turhan, who resigned from his duty to become a candidate, was also placed at the top of İzmir's list. AK Party Deputy Chairman Mehmet Muş, AK Party Istanbul Provincial Chairman Aziz Babuşçu, Treasury Undersecretary Naci Ağbal, Customs and Trade Ministry Undersecretary Ziya Altunyaldız and Turkuvaz Medya Grubu board member Berat Albayrak were also included on the AK Party candidate list.

As the general director of Budget and Finance Control in 2006, Ağbal was appointed as Treasury Undersecretary in 2009. Ağbal, who was born in Bayburt and nominated as a candidate there as well, is expected to participate in the next cabinet pending an AK Party win. Albayrak, who graduated with a degree in business administration from Istanbul University, was nominated as a candidate in Istanbul. Albayrak attained his Master's in Business Administration (MBA) at Pace University in New York, and completed his doctorate abroad.