Türkiye’s newly appointed Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan emphasized his message of advancing national foreign policies as he joined Twitter on his second day in office.
“I handed over my post as the head of the National Intelligence Organization (MIT) to my brother Ibrahim Kalın,” Fidan wrote, referring to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s spokesperson Kalın’s appointment as Türkiye’s new spymaster.
Expressing his “gratitude” to Erdoğan for “entrusting me with this duty,” Fidan said, “We will further develop our national foreign policy vision at our long-established Foreign Affairs Office.”
Fidan’s first tweet echoed the first remarks he gave to the press as he took over the ministry from Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, who had helmed Türkiye’s foreign diplomacy for nearly a decade.
Fidan, 55, was named for the post last Saturday by Erdoğan who unveiled his new Cabinet after attending the oath-taking and inauguration ceremonies at Parliament and the Presidential Complex in the capital Ankara, respectively.
Foreign ministers worldwide extended congratulations to Fidan on his appointment.
Fidan held critical positions in foreign policy and security in state institutions.
He served as deputy undersecretary for Foreign Policy and Security at the Prime Ministry and Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA). In addition, he was a member of the board of governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency, special representative of the prime minister and special representative of the president.
After briefly acting as its deputy undersecretary, Fidan was promoted in 2010 to the head of the National Intelligence Organization (MIT), where he presided over key periods like the reconciliation process with the PKK terrorist group and the aftermath of the July 15 coup attempt.
