AK Party's 180-day development plan first test for new Cabinet

The Justice and Development Party (AK Party) government is to focus on its 180-day plan after a long-awaited reshuffling of the Cabinet announced by Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım on Wednesday. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan will reportedly determine the next Cabinet based on the ministers' performance up to 2019.

Erdoğan is expected to unveil his party's roadmap to the crucial 2019 elections after July 24, when he returns from the Gulf. The AK Party roadmap will reportedly include new projects and reforms in the areas of construction, transportation, energy, labor, health and education as well as others.

The 180-day plan is seen as the first task for the new Cabinet and the AK Party. The president is highly likely to determine the next Cabinet if he prevails in the 2019 presidential election.

Former Deputy Prime Ministers Tuğrul Türkeş and Veysi Kaynak, former Culture and Tourism Minister Nabi Avcı, former Youth and Sports Akif Çağatay Kılıç, former Labor and Social Security Minister Mehmet Müezzinoğlu and former Food, Agriculture and Livestock Minister Faruk Çelik were removed from the Cabinet.

Six new miniters entered the Cabinet, with Hakan Çavuşoğlu as deputy prime minister, Abdülhamit Gül as justice minister, Jülide Sarıeroğlu as labor and social security minister, Osman Aşkın Bak as youth and sports minister, Ahmet Demircan as health minister and Ahmet Eşref Fakıbaba as food, agriculture and livestock minister.

Former Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmuş was announced as the new culture and tourism minister.

Up until Wednesday, the only change in the Cabinet that had taken place was the resignation of former Interior Minister Efkan Ala on Aug. 31, 2016. Ala was replaced with Süleyman Soylu, who was labor and social security minister at the time, and Mehmet Müezzinoğlu was appointed to Soylu's former post.

The ruling party has entered a new era following Erdoğan's return as party leader in late May. After the constitutional changes approved in the April 16 referendum, which allowed Erdoğan to re-establish his ties to the AK Party, the party held an emergency convention on May 21.

Erdoğan is reported to have plans to gather all local administrations and AK Party authorities on Oct. 6-8 in Afyonkarahisar province. He is expected to convey the message to all local AK Party branches and administrations that they must address every section of society and touch them closely.

Local administrators and party officials were criticized in the run-up to the April 16 referendum for their lack of enthusiasm and dynamism. Erdoğan previously said he was willing to change some figures in rural AK Party branches which have shown signs of tiring and are "unraveling" with others who are more passionate and enthusiastic about the new term.

"Our fellow friends in successful branches will, of course, continue their duties, but I guess you will also agree that a comprehensive change is needed in our local administrations," Erdoğan said on July 1, send a loud and clear message to his party members.